The Iris and The Lily
by axelkairi
Summary: Torn from her home on the outskirts of the Earth Kingdom, Natsuki is forced to be the Fire Nation's new royal healer. Getting used to living in a new place is hard enough. She hadn't planned on falling in love with the prince! Zuko x OC Natsuki/Sen
1. Chapter 1: A Hint of Normality

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Well, I just had this idea. I have no idea if it's been overused or not, since I haven't read any Avatar fanfiction besides The Concubine Princess by Turion (which you all should read, good stuff), but I'm gonna write it anyway! I love Zutara so very much, but it's even more fun if you pair Zuko up with an OC!!! hehe Zuko's so hott (without that stupid ponytail) that he can have any girl he wants! So why not give him one that doesn't exist in his world? It probably makes him feel super powerfawl. hehe men. Well, here it goes! Gonna try my best! Wish me luck, and please read and review!

Also, a little insight to this story. Natsuki's (the main character) Grandma is the old herb lady featured mainly in Book 1: Water, Chapter 13: The Blue Spirit. She tells Aang to feed Sokka and Katara frozen frogs (ick). Natsuki is my own made up character, as are her parents. And for future reference, as I am sure this will come up in later chapters (maybe even this one, I'm not quite sure), Admiral Zhao is still alive. Yes, I know, he died during the end of the last episode in Season 1, but let's just say he somehow held his breath underwater for an amazing amount of time, and managed to stay alive until Aang was released from the Avatar State. So he's still alive, kicking, and pissing everyone off. And Zuko is back in the Fire Nation. This is when Ozai welcomed him back, sort of. He has his (sexy) long hair, but usually wears it up in that (hideous) ponytail thing with that little fire crown thingy in there. The war is still going on, obviously haha. I have no idea what season this is happening in, I'm still on season 2 lol. Well, if you have any questions (or answers) go ahead and share! Maybe in a review...? hehe well Enjoy!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter One**

**A Hint of Normality**

"Natsuki!"

I jerked up in my bed, immediately awake and pushing the covers off of me. "What is it, Grandma?" I ran into the greenhouse, already sweating. I pushed open the door and found Grandma bending over next to a table. I couldn't see her face, but from her posture it seemed that she was in pain.

I gasped and ran over to her. "Grandma, are you okay?" I put my hand on her back and kneeled next to her, trying to get a glimpse of her face. "What's wrong? Tell me!"

Then she did the strangest thing. She laughed.

I furrowed my brow as she straighened up, her eyes closed as she wheezed through her teeth. "What are you getting so worked up about, Natsuki?" she asked, walking over to the table as I stood up, confused. She gave Miyuki a few pets on her head before continuing, giving me a smile. "I just wanted you to tend to the flowers."

I sighed, but smiled and nodded. "'Kay, I'll get right on that, Grandma," I answered, picking up a watering can and making my way over to the corner of the greenhouse.

It'd been like this for as long as I could remember. My parents had been part of the Earth Kingdom, but had relatives in the Air Nomads. I think my father was an earthbender, from what Grandma told me, but my mother was just a normal person. Apparently they'd met when my father saved my mother from a cavein. Funny thing was, she was there exploring with her fiance. Grandma said it was love at first sight. Mother's fiance didn't take it very well. He was from the Fire Nation, and was also a firebender at that. He was in the army, too, and had to go off to war soon.

My mother ended their engagement a few days before he left. Apparently he had a wild temper, and she wanted to break the news to him when he had no chance of blowing up. My mother and father were married a few weeks later, and ten months after that they had me. They named me Natsuki, meaning summer child, because it had been raining ever since spring began, and their crops were beginning to flood and die, but the day before they had me, all the rain stopped. They looked at me as if I were a blessing sent from the spirit of the Earth.

Grandma said my mother had a way with flowers. I remember, her name was Sen, meaning wood fairy. Grandma said that everything she touched seemed to burst with life, and she was happiest when she was barefoot in a field of wildflowers. When I was little, Grandma would tell me stories about my parents, how they were so happy together and in love. But my favorite was a story that she and I named The Iris and The Lily.

_"What story are you gonna tell me tonight, Gramma?" I asked, sitting up in excitement._

_Grandma laughed and gently pushed me down onto my back. "Calm down, child. You'll never go to sleep like this."_

_"I'm too excited to go to sleep!" I protested, but laid down all the same. "So what are you gonna tell meeeee?"_

_"Hm..." She thought for a moment, looking away with squinty eyes, making me giggle, then turned back, her face full of life. "How about The Iris and The Lily?"_

_I gasped in happiness. I was hoping she would tell me that one. "That's my favorite!"_

_She laughed more. "I know, sweetie, I know. Now, how does it start?"_

_"You and Mamma were in a field!" I helped, trying not to raise my voice too much. She didn't like that, but I was so excited!_

_"That's right. We were in the field down the rock path from here, in the woods. It was the beginning of summer, almost the time for your first birthday. She brought me down there trying to find inspiration for your gifts._

_"We walked for a long time, your mother climbing trees and enjoying nature, and me laughing with her, happy to see her so radiant. Finally, we came across two flowers that seemed out of place among the smaller, yellow flowers. One was as white as snow, with pink on the inside of the petals, in the center. And the other..." She shuddered and tickled me, making me giggle and shudder, too. "Oh, the other was as black as night, with petals coming up from all sides, looking hideous next to the beautiful white flower._

_" 'Oh, Mother! Look how beautiful they are!' your mother said, running to them immediately, so light on her feet that she didn't even crush any flowers on her way._

_" 'Beautiful?' I asked. 'That white one, indeed, is beautiful, but what is that terrible dark thing next to it?'_

_" 'Mother, how can you say that?' she asked, as if I had offended the flower. 'Look at the contrast, the color!'_

_" 'The color is what I dislike, my child,' I explained, walking up to her. 'That is the color of death, of darkness. It darkens this field with its presence.'_

_"She laughed and stroked the flowers petals tenderly. 'I suppose,' she said. 'It looks that way from where you're standing, doesn't it? But, Mother, if you would look a little closer...'_

_"She pulled one of the petals forward and another back, exposing a dazzling yellow color on it, almost more brilliant than the white flower next to it. I was surprised to say the least, and she laughed at my expression. 'You see, Mother? Things aren't always what they seem to be.'_

_"I smiled as she stood. 'I suppose not,' I said, gazing at the flowers with her. We called the dark one an iris, for it was the color of your mother's eyes, and the white one a lily, after the friend she had back in the Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se, whose hair was the same white as the flower._

_"And the next day when we came back to fetch them for your birthday, there were irises and lilies everywhere! All over the field, always grouped in two like the first pair."_

_"Oh, Grandma!" I yawned, stretching my arms. "I wish I could see a lily and an iris."_

_"You will, dearie," she promised, pulling the blankets up to cover me. "But first, get some rest. You've got a big day tomorrow."_

_I smiled and nodded, easily drifting off to sleep._

What my Grandma always neglected to mention was that the field that she spoke of had been void of irises and lilies since my mother and father died. They were killed by Fire Nation soldiers on their way to Ba Sing Se, to sell their flowers and crops and remedies. I firmly believed that the one who had ordered the attack was none other than my mother's ex-fiance, but my Grandma always told me not to be so spiteful.

It had been my wish for a very long time to find him, and show him just what he had forced my parents to leave behind, but after fourteen long years of nothing, the thought had basically been squished and stuffed in a locked drawer.

"Natsuki?"

I blinked, my eyes wide as I was jerked from my thoughts. "Hm?" I turned my head to look at Grandma. "Yes? What is it?"

She was smiling, as if she were about to laugh and gestured to the plant in front of me. "You've been watering that flower for over five minutes."

I turned to look at the orchid and saw that she was right. There was nearly a pool of water at the base of the plant. I sighed and reached under the table to pick up a few dry towels. "Sorry, I guess I was distracted," I apologized, soaking up most of the water in one towel, then put it aside and picked up another. I began to dab at the remaining water, not wanting to overwater such a fragile plant.

Grandma laughed a little, then went back to her work. "Oh, darn it!" she suddenly exclaimed, sounding more exasperated than angry.

My eyebrows perked up and I was already moving toward her. "What is it?" I asked, eager to help. Ever since Grandma's age had started to really catch up to her, I was doing so much work it was enough to nearly break my back. But I was happy to do it. Anything to help the woman who raised me.

She sighed and gestured to her tools. "I've misplaced my trowel!" she explained. "I think I probably left it at the base of the mountain, when I was planting acorns."

I bit my lip. I'd have to go all the way down the mountain? I held back a sigh and forced an energetic smile. "Don't worry, I'll get it!" I said, turning to the door.

"Are you sure?" she asked, her expression becoming concerned. "It's a long way."

"I'll be fine!" I assured her. "I just woke up, Gran-Gran, I'm _full_ of energy!" I sent her one last toothy smile before going through the door and shutting it behind me.

Once I was out of her sight, my smile dropped to the floor and I put a hand to my forehead, breathing out slowly. Full of energy? That was a laugh. I was still tired enough to sleep in the river!

Well, it would be a long walk to the base of the mountain. _Better get started,_ I thought tiredly, already feeling the ache that would surely develop within a half hour.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

I fell to my knees on the hard ground, two men staring at me, eyebrows raised. I rolled on my back, splaying my arms out around me. I turned my head to look at the trowel in my hand and glared at it. "This is all your fault," I growled at it.

It just looked back at me with its muddy face, saying nothing.

I sighed and rolled my head back to look at the sky, then closed my eyes. My heart was pounding in my chest, aching for rest. I probably could've gone to sleep right there, but a voice interrupted me.

"Excuse me? Miss? Are you alright?"

I opened one eye to find one of them men leaning over me, a confused expression on his face. He blinked in surprise, noticing my eyes.

I narrowed my eyes and looked away, pushing myself up, much to my body's loathing. "I'm fine, thanks," I said, continuing on my way. "Sorry for bothering you."

"N-No problem," I heard him say, and quickened my pace. I didn't want to hear him talking to his friend about what he'd seen.

I stopped a little ways up ahead, sitting in the middle of the long upward slope of steps that led to the greenhouse. I held up the trowel and looked at myself, into my eyes.

Unlike the typical light dusty brown of those in the Earth Kingdom, my eyes were a flat, dull gray. Grandma told me that my eyes were special, but I knew the truth. I'd heard it plenty of times, when I'd walk in on the adults talking about "that strange girl with the healer".

I had the same eyes as the Avatar. Air Nomad eyes.

I blinked and looked away, standing up and shoving the trowel in the pocket of my trousers. The less people noticed me, the better.

I breathed in and out slowly, balling my hands into fists and putting the knuckles together in front of me, making my arms form a sort of box from my shoulds to my elbows. I took another breath, in my nose and out my mouth, then opened my eyes. I could see the air currents, the different winds, every direction it took. I stepped forward, and vaulted up the stairs, using the air to propel me forward. In less than five seconds, I was at the top of the stairs, catching my breath before I opened the door.

After all, I didn't want anyone to figure out that I was an airbender.

My hand was reaching for the knob when something to my side caught my eye. I turned, casually glancing over my shoulder at the strange sight.

Smoke was rising from somewhere to my left, down a ways, on the side of the mountain. I narrowed my eyes and focused. This smoke wasn't the thick coal black of a forest fire. This smoke was gray, thin, dispersing in a thin line at the top, not quite reaching the clouds.

I couldn't help but feed my suspicion. I walked around the side of the greenhouse, making sure to hide behind bushes so Grandma wouldn't see me through the glass, and grabbed my glider from behind a tree. I climbed the tree quickly and slammed the base of the glider into the thick branch, forcing the wings open. I'd covered the wings on the top with leaves, so I would resemble a large bird flying instead of a person. It would lessen the suspicion of others.

I grabbed on tightly and shoved off, creating a wind to carry me to the source of the smoke.

In no time I was looking down on the fire. It was a simple campfire, small, surrounded by tents. But the number of tents worried me. Not that many people lived up here, who could possibly need eight tents?

I made the wind slow down, letting myself fall for a little bit, but still staying high enough to be out of sight.

I gasped, blinking rapidly. On the sides of the tents were Fire Nations insignias. One man stepped outside, barked orders to another, then made the fire flare to ten times its size, burning any firewood in the pit to crisps. The fire went out promptly, leaving the camp in darkness.

I coughed as I got too close to the smoke and turned around, going back to the greenhouse. What were Fire Nation soldiers doing _here_ of all places? Weren't they supposed to be laying seige to Ba Sing Se?

I hid my glider behind the tree again, and rushed to the door. I burst through, looking around wildly for my Grandma. "Grandma!" I called, going to the other room, where the herbs and remedies were kept and grown. "Grandma, where are you? I have to tell you something! The Fire Nation -"

When I entered the room, my breath caught in my throat.

There were at least five soldiers, two holding Grandma by her arms. The other three stood guard at the corners of the room. A man with dignifying-looking armor stood in front of Grandma, and turned around when he heard me. The soldiers assumed offensive stances, ready to shoot fire at me at any given moment.

The man smiled at me, his brows furrowed, making the gesture threatening. "Ah, it seems we have another guest," he said.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

A/N: Hope you like so far! Please review! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2: Surprise

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Okay, a few more things. Natsuki is sixteen, and Zuko is seventeen. Because I think his hair couldn't possibly grow as fast as it seemed in Season 2 and 3. Like, they chopped off their hair, and then suddenly he's not bald anymore in the next episode. I was like "how did that happen so _fast_?" So yeah, it took his hair a year to grow to that long sexy length. So there's that. Well, back to the story! Sorry for leaving you at a cliffie on the first chapter! haha But I hope you liked it! Here's the next chapter! Review please!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Two**

**Surprise**

I ground my teeth together, fighting the urge to blow this man and all his soldiers through the walls. I clenched my hands into fists at my side and glared him straight in the eyes. "Let her go," I growled, almost shaking from my fury.

He raised an eyebrow, obviously not used to a random teenage girl threatening him, and his smile grew in amusement. "And if I refuse?" he asked, though I could tell that wasn't an option he was considering. He was only asking to humor me, and himself.

I narrowed my eyes and took a step toward him. "I will rip those disgusting mutton chops off your putrid face." (A/N: have you noticed that almost every man in the fire nation has mutton chops? seriously)

He laughed at his, a hardy, throaty laugh, and I could hear a few snickers from some of the guards.

"You think I won't?" I asked, my anger growing with every chuckle from this stupid man and his ridiculous graying sideburns.

He let out a few last laughs before answering me. "On the contrary, I don't doubt that you'll try," he said. "Though have no doubts that you'll fail." He gave me a smirk, clearly stating that he had a superiority complex.

I bared my teeth, probably looking like a wolf-bat, and was readying myself to airbend when I heard my Grandma's voice.

"Natsuki, stop!"

My eyes flashed to hers, as did the man in front of me, turning his body halfway to look upon her. "Stay out of this, Grandma," I warned.

She lifted her hands, showing that the soldiers were gripping onto her tightly. "Have you noticed that I'm already _in_ this?" She raised an eyebrow at me, and I knew I couldn't disagree. Though I wouldn't agree, either. I stood there silently, muscles tensed, ready to defend her if worse came to even worse.

She turned to the man, suddenly looking a lot younger, and strong. Why had I never seen this side of her before? "What is it exactly that you want, Zhao?" she asked, her voice strong and disrespectful.

"That's Admiral Zhao," he corrected, though he didn't seem to care much. Obviously he couldn't care less what she called him, for he thought nothing of her. And that very fact enraged me. "As for what I want, it's more of a request from the Fire Lord."

"Oh?" she asked, unaffected by this news. I found myself guiltily straining my ears to hear better, the very mention of the Fire Lord getting me lost in the drama. It wasn't often one saw things like this. "And what is this _humble request?_"

The man - apparently named Admiral Zhao - laughed at her choice of words. "His royal healer has fallen ill, ironically, and has sent me to you to aquire your services."

This struck me hard. Grandma, in the heart of the Fire Nation? The very people that had killed her daughter? No, I couldn't let that happen. As odd as it may sound, I would not _let_ that happen.

Grandma's eyes fell to the ground, and she looked older now, even older than she had looked before. Her eyes were sad, and she looked away from Zhao, then closed her eyes. She opened her mouth, and I knew she was going to accept.

"Grandma, no!" I exclaimed, drawing all eyes in the room to myself. I blushed at the attention, so used to being brushed aside, and striving to blend in, but I couldn't stand aside any longer. I wouldn't let my Grandma, my only family, throw away what was left of her life to die in an enemy's world.

"Natsuki..." she warned.

"No, Grandma," I said, moving past Zhao to stand in front of her. "I won't let you throw your life away. Not for these monsters." Before she could say another word, I turned away from her, facing the Admiral. He seemed a lot more foreboding when I was this close to him; one more step and I'd be touching him. I looked up at him, meeting his gaze squarely and evenly. "I'll go in her place."

He had a great laugh at this. "You?" he asked incredulously. "And how old are you, girl? Thirteen?"

"Sixteen," I answered angrily, "and plently old enough to be a healer."

He crossed his arms and looked down his nose at me. "Oh really?" he asked, smirking. He was humoring himself with me again!

I huffed. "My grandmother has taught me everything she knows, and I've perfected plenty of my own remedies. I can garden, I can clean, I can cook, and I'll serve many more years than her. Think of the benefits."

He put a fist under his chin as he contemplated this, and I didn't miss the way his eyes dropped from my eyes to look over my figure. I kept my eyes on his, however, refusing to let my blush deepen anymore. Finally, his eyes returned to mine, and his smirk grew. "I believe the benefits are very tempting," he replied, looking at me as if I were something to eat.

I shivered, but otherwise held my composure. "Then you'll take me?" Oops, bad choice of words. I stumbled over a few syllables, but was cut off.

He chuckled and grabbed my wrist, pulling me close to him. "Gladly," he said, his voice deep and low in this throat. I glared at him, but that only seemed to humor him even more. He turned to his men, still keeping my arms locked in his grip. "Inform the other soldiers to set a course for the Fire Nation Capital. We're finished here."

I shifted in his grip to look at Grandma, mouthing a silent "I'm sorry" to her before Zhao tugged my arms, forcing me to turn away and walk with him. I bit my lip and blinked fast, refusing to cry in front of this man and his heartless soldiers. I'd save my tears, hold them back until I was alone in the ship, at the very least. But my mind found a breif relief when I stumbled, trying to catch up. Zhao still refused to let go of my arm, and his steps were much wider than mine; I had to take two steps to match his one.

I held back the urge to break free and grab my glider. First of all, he didn't seem to be about to let me go any time soon, and second, they would have too many questions if I came out of the bushes with a suspicious looking stick. And once they figured out it was a glider, no doubt they'd have it chipped, or burnt. I'd just have to trust that it was safe, until I could escape and get it back.

After a walk that seemed to last for eternity, a dark metal ship loomed in the distance, a foreboding symbol of my new future. I looked away from it, already feeling the walls closing in around me. I was captured, caged, owned, and nothing I could do could save me.

_Airbend_.

No, I couldn't. I couldn't even hope to take on this many soldiers by myself. They'd get blown away for a few minutes, understand the threat, and take me down. And if Zhao was as much of a crazy sadist that I assumed he was, he'd burn down this entire village, and make me watch, listening to my Grandma's screams.

The very thought nearly brought tears to my eyes. No, no airbending. Not now, at least. I'd have to live like this, like a woman from the Fire Nation, for at least a while, until the opportunity presented itself that would allow me to escape.

The question was, who knew when that would be?

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

The ship was no different on the inside than it was on the outside. Cold, hard, metal, and entirely unwelcoming. The air around the ship was strange, and I had to avoid gagging as I drew closer. It was thick, smoky, hot, and hard to suck in. I already felt lightheaded before I entered the ship.

Zhao still hadn't let go of me, though his hand was on my upper arm now instead of my wrist, forcing me to walk closer to me. He didn't look at me, only stared forward, his eyebrows furrowed as if he was lost in thought. Occasionally, his eyes would flicker to the side, casting a glance at my home village, and I felt a fierce sensation of protection for it and anger for him. How dare he even look at the beauty of my home with those demonic golden eyes?

"Admiral Zhao," I said, unsure of where my bravery was coming from exactly.

His eyes moved to me, then back to the ship, surprised to hear me speak after all this time. "What could it be now?" he asked, annoyed, yet still keeping his composure.

"I have one request and one only, and if you abide by it, I'm sure we'll get along fine." I glared at him, ignoring the fact that he probably couldn't even see it. "When we leave this place, I want you to forget about it. After we leave, this village disappears, and you nor anyone else from the Fire Nation will visit it."

He smirked. What was it about me standing up for myself did he find so humorous? "And what happens if I ignore your warning?" he asked as we neared the ship.

I stopped walking, jerking him to a stop with me. He finally looked at me, his smirk disappearing, and I wasn't completely sure if he was finally starting to take me seriously or just getting exceptionally pissed off at my disobedience. "I will kill you, your men, and anyone affiliated with you in any way, shape, or form. Understand this, _Admiral Zhao_, I can do things you can't even _begin_ to imagine." I stepped forward until I was touching him, so close I had to strain my neck to look up at him. "If you think I'm angry now, you don't wanna see me when you threaten my home."

He narrowed his eyes at me, and I could feel the air around us grow hotter. He was resisting the urge to burn my arm where he held me, because he knew that I was valuable to the Fire Nation, and he hated it.

And right then, I realized how lucky I was that the Fire Nation needed me. Even though they were my enemy, they were winning, and I suppose it was a great thing to be on their good side.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," he growled, then took a large step and pulled me along with him, making me stumble and nearly face-plant into the rocks on the side of the path. I sucked in a breath and blew it out, using the air to push me back up. I glanced at Zhao quickly to make sure he hadn't noticed, and it looked as though he didn't,

I sighed in relief. I guess it was a good thing that he never looked at me. It would make keeping myself alive a whole lot easier.

Finally we were on the dock, There were more soldiers than I had ever seen, lining the dock, all the way to the open door of the ship. There, two men stood on either side of it, arms at their sides. I could see how their muscles were tense, even in such a simple position. Armed for battle no matter the circumstance. How long had they been in the army? How long had they trained to be like that? So hard and cold, just like the ship they stood before.

Zhao nodded to the men and strode inside, finally letting go of me. My freedom was short, though, for two of the soldiers behind me grabbed my arms and led me inside after him. Their hands were much gentler than Zhao's; perhaps they felt sympathy for me, being in the company of such a horrible man. Maybe there was hope for the Fire Nation after all.

I had underestimated how large the ship actually was. It was even bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. I was led down endlessly hallways, passing so many rooms that I lost count. Everything looked the same, just black walls, metal doors, and a seemingly unending supply of knuts and bolts holding the whole thing together.

Zhao approached a large ornate door, complete with the Fire Nation symbol on it, the hinges a bright red, contrasting with the coal black of the ship. He turned abrubtly, facing me. His eyes met mine only for a moment, in which I gave him a defiant glare. He set his jaw and narrowed his eyes at me, then lifted them to look at one of the soldiers. "Take her to one of the cabins down the hall," he ordered. "Make sure she is treated as a guest, not a prisoner."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, then furrowed them. What was with his change of heart? Was he just doing it to make sure I was in the right condition to serve the Fire Lord? Most likely. We held nothing but distaste for one another, so it must simply be duty. Even then I was still surprised at how he could treat an enemy remotely kindly, duty being the only reason.

The men nodded low, showing their due respect, and let go of me, gesturing to the hallway to the right of the door.

I nodded and walked down the way, one soldier in front of me, the other behind me. The walk wasn't long, which was both nice and discouraging; I didn't want to be this close to Zhao's room. But I didn't speak out. These men had been nice enough so far, I didn't want to give them a reason to test out their new firebending moves on the new guest.

I stood in front of the door, not wishing to go in. Once I did, I knew that it would be officially over, it wasn't already. When I stepped through that door, I wouldn't be Natsuki anymore. I'd be the healer of the Fire Nation, nothing else.

The guard next to me opened the door for me, his mask hiding his face, though no doubt he was suspicious of my sanity. After all, who normally stands in front of doors for a long period of time, just looking at them? I nodded to him, whispered a small "Thank you" to them both, sucked in a deep breath, and stepped inside.

The door closed immediately after I entered, leaving the room filled with the sound of metal against metal. I coughed at my first breath; the air was filthy! Thick and smoky, it burned my throat as I breathed. I looked around wildly for a window, and found one in the bathroom adjoined to the - _my_ - room. I pulled at it, trying to get it open. I pulled, pulled, pulled, but it wouldn't budge. I huffed, coughed, and stepped back, feeling the air around me. And with a few motions of my hands, I shot my arm out, my fingers splayed and palm pointed to the window.

The glass shot out from its frame, flying on the air for a moment before splashing into the open sea. I climbed on the toilet and stuck my head out the small window, taking deep mouthfuls of clean air. I closed my eyes, tasting the sea with every breath.

Stepping back, I held my arms out straight before me, then drew my fingers back, my hands, finally bending my arms, bringing the clean air into the room. I spun, feeling it follow me faithfully, then stepped hard on the floor, facing the rest of my room, and shot my arms out straight.

The air flew into the rest of the room, pushing out the smoke and shoving it through the tiny window and out of the room.

I sighed and took another deep breath, letting it clean out the smoke in my lungs. Clean air. There was nothing more beautiful to me.

I stood in the doorway to the bathroom, finally able to look at my new room.

It wasn't much. There was a desk in one corner, a twin bed in the other, a red cloth with a black Fire Nation symbol on it, and a rug identical to it with the opposite colors: black cloth with red symbol. There was a vase on the desk without any flowers, but upon further inspection the stems had just dried out so much they'd crumbled on themselves, and dead flower petals lay at the bottom of the vase.

I sighed and plopped myself down on the bed. So, this would be my life until we reached the Fire Nation Capital. A room of metal, filled with the traces and symbols of my parents' killers. Surrounded by men, firebenders, who would take any order by Zhao to kill me, or worse. Who wouldn't dare cross their Admiral if he decided to do anything to me.

I had only myself to protect me. Not even the air. Because I knew only one thing for sure.

If anyone in the Fire Nation found out that I was an airbender, they wouldn't hesitate to kill me.


	3. Chapter 3: A Visit from The Avatar

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: I'm so loving this story! I hope you are, too! Please review and check out my other stories!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Three**

**A Visit From The Avatar**

I had a dream that night. I was running from fire, but no matter how fast I ran it always seemed to catch up to me, as if the flames themselves were running after me. I heard many footsteps behind me, always at the same distance, never getting louder, but never getting quieter either. Finally I felt grass beneath my feet, and I instantly felt safer. Though the growing heat behind me was still a prominent thought in my mind.

I slowed down enough to look around at where I was. As far as I could tell, I was in a field. As I continued scanning the area, I noticed something just ahead of me. Two flowers, one black as night, the other as white as an angel. _The iris and the lily?_ I thought, stepping forward.

But I had ignored the fire for too long. It ran around the edges of the field, circling me, and it met up with itself in front of me, behind the flowers. And in less than one second, the flowers were turned into ash, the flames licking them tenderly until their love burnt the object of their affections to a crisp.

My eyes widened and tears ran down my face. I turned and ran, as fast as I could, into a man's arms. Somehow I knew him, though I didn't know his name. I didn't look up to see his face, just buried my face in his chest and sobbed, his arms folding around my waist, holding me close.

And then I woke up. I shot forward in my bed, sitting up, the blanket falling off me to pool around my waist. My sleepy mind was instantly full of questions. What did this mean? Was it a premonition? Just a dream?

But the most important of those questions: who was that man? I didn't know any men, save for the security guards roaming the mountain back home, or these soldiers and Zhao.

My eyes widened. It hadn't been Zhao, had it? I mean, I knew my dreams could be strange sometimes, and most of the time were _definately_ not based on reality, but honestly how impossible could dreams get?

I blew out a long breath and closed my eyes, leaning forward until my head touched my knees. _Okay, Natsuki, focus. Remember what he looked like._ But I didn't even _know_ what he looked like! I didn't look at him!

I sighed. Okay, he was taller than me, that was for sure. Less than a foot... perhaps a head taller?

I smiled, exhaling quickly, opening my eyes. Then it wasn't Zhao; the Admiral was at least a foot taller than I was. I let myself fall back onto the bed, my head slamming on the too-hard pillow painfully. I let out a small yelp of pain and sat back up, rubbing the back of my head.

I turned on the bed and let my legs hang off the end, my toes just barely skimming the floor, as these beds were made for men much larger than me. _Looks lilke I'm not getting any more sleep tonight,_ I thought, my inner voice almost sighing. I felt drained and empty, like a withering flower. All I wanted to do was grab my glider, blow a hole in the side of this disgusting ship, and fly back to Grandma, back home.

But I couldn't. I pushed myself off the bed and jumped a little, shivering at the feel of the metal under my bare feet. Strangely, it wasn't cold, but resonated with a shallow warmth, like there was a fire underneath. Perhaps I was above the engine room?

I made my way to the bathroom and paused in front of the mirror.

I looked positively ghastly. My hair was sticking up in random directions, resembling one of my cotton bramble bushes back home. My eyes had bags under them, and my skin was so pale and waxy it looked like a blank wrinkled scroll. I placed my hands on my cheeks and tugged down, pulling at my face with his fingertips. It only made me look worse, but my skin felt tight and needed to be stretched out.

I groaned and let my hands fall on the sides of the sink, leaning forward until my forehead hit the mirror. "I just want to fly out of here," I muttered to myself, looking at my eyes in the mirror.

A loud crash was heard from above, and I stumbled, tripping over my feet and grabbing at the wall to keep myself standing. I was instantly alert, standing up straight and rushing out of my room into the long hallway outside. I looked around, hearing footsteps, but didn't see anyone.

"What was that?" The voice was from somewhere ahead of me, but sounded muffled. I moved closer to it, adrenaline pumping and heart pounding.

"We better check it out," another said, and the door next to me opened, two soldiers spilling out and going immediately to a run, pulling on their helmets and slipping their skull coverings over their faces. I'd barely caught a glimpse of green eyes from one of the men before they were completely covered and turning the corner.

_Follow them._ I nodded to myself, unsure of whether it was I that thought it or someone else. Nevertheless, I picked up my feet and ran after them, listening intently to the goings on on the deck of the ship.

I heard fire blasts, that I was sure of, and waves crashing, even harder than normal it seemed. Someone yelled, making a sound that resembled a battle cry, and there were sounds of a swordfight breaking through the fire.

"It's the Avatar!"

"The _Avatar?!_"

I blinked, jutting my hands out in front of me, pushing with the air to stop myself. "The Avatar?" I asked to no one. What was he doing _here?_

I heard his voice before I saw him. Zhao stood in front of his door, tying his armor down vigorously, barking out orders to them men that were still underneath. Each soldier only spent a few seconds near him, obviously unwilling to be anywhere near his rage. I could see his golden eyes smoldering from where I was, and it sent a cold chill down my spine.

I stepped up to him, finally slowing down. "Zhao, what's going on?" I asked, my voice loud so as to be heard over the fight going on above. The ship shook as a loud roar was heard, and my hands instinctively moved to my ears. What _was_ that, some kind of _animal?_

The Admiral didn't seem to notice the lack of respect and title in my question. "The Avatar is trying to intercept us on the way to the Fire Nation," he answered. He turned to a solder. "Tell everyone on deck to report to my office when they are wounded; our healer will tend to them."

The soldier nodded and gave a quick, but formal, bow. "Sir!" he said in a very military fashion and proceeded up the stairs to the deck.

Zhao turned back to me. "Well, you heard, didn't you?" he asked, his eyes hard and irritated. "Into my office!"

"Yes, sir!" I answered automatically, only realizing after I'd said it that there had been genuine respect in my tone. Where had that come from? I ignored it, since it wasn't the priority, and rushed past the ornate red door, leaving it ajar behind me.

I raked my eyes over the room, checking every corner for any herbs or bottles that I could use. When I saw nothing, I stopped myself from feeling discouraged. I ran to the other adjoining room, separated by curtains, and I knew that these were his chambers.

I blushed a little, feeling like I was invading his privacy by entering, but shook my head and kept looking. He wouldn't send me in here without everything that I needed. That is, if he wanted his men to stay alive, at least.

I looked around wildly, growing desperate. My eyes found another curtain, to my left, and I rushed for it, tearing the fabric away and pushing it to the side.

My heart lifted with the familiar sights and smells of the greenhouse. It seemed that they had taken absolutely everything from my side of the hut, and even added a few various herbs and flowers and plants only found in the Fire Nation. Those would be perfect to experiment with, but not now. Not when the entire ship was being attacked, even if it was by the Avatar.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

After a long while, I knew something had to be wrong. No one had been down to the office, and I knew for a fact that _someone_ up there _had_ to be injured in some way. Either they had too much pride to admit that they were hurt, or they were so badly injured that they couldn't carry themselves down to the office.

And I didn't want to think about that.

I stood up from the chair I was sitting in and ran to the door. I hid behind it for a few moments, in case Zhao was still there. Luckily, he was nowhere to be seen, and I took the chance. I sprinted, breathing through my open mouth, and made my way up the stairs to the active deck.

What I saw made me gasp out loud, my eyes nearly popping out of my head. I dodged a wayward fire blast and hid behind a destroyed catapult, sticking my head out just enough to see what was going on.

There were at least twenty soldiers on deck, fighting against a boy a little younger than me with a ponytail and an odd-looking shortsword, a girl about the same age who looked similar to him, but with a long braid and carefully managed brown hair, and a very young looking boy with strange blue arrow tattoos roaming all over his body. He was barefoot, and had them on his feet, and his shirt was ripped open in many places, nearly falling off his small, childish frame, revealing tattoos all over his arms and up his spine.

The ponytail boy jumped off the edge of the boat into a wall of about four soldiers, brandishing his sword wildly. His movements were haphazard and awkward, but his eyes were hard and determined, his jaw clenched. He didn't care whether he was good or bad at what he was doing; the only thing that mattered was beating the Fire Nation back.

The braid girl was moving her arms in wide circles and fluid movements, looking almost like a dancer. She was obviously a waterbender, for she struck a guard in the face with a whip of oceanwater, and formed it into a ball to throw at a line of men heading straight for her. Her eyes resembled her brother's, though she was concentrating much more than her brother. She obviously had a natural gift for waterbending, but she was working hard to keep the water under control.

The tattooed boy was jumping everywhere, too high to be humanly possible, and I watched with fascination. He was an airbender, like me! I'd heard rumors of the Avatar being back, but after he died one hundred years ago, I assumed the cycle went on to the next element: Earth, if I wasn't mistaken.

He swept his staff in a full circle, sending all soldiers near him crashing against the walls of the ship, and a few even went overboard. I nearly gasped again at this, but covered my mouth. If he saw me, he would assume I was with the Fire Nation, and I really didn't want to get in a fight with the Avatar.

"Aang!" someone called, and the Avatar looked up. A shadow fell across the deck, and as I looked up I saw a giant white beast with similar arrow tattoos on its head, though they were brown. A small girl with black hair rode on it, her expression bored but alert. "We need to get out of here! There are more ships coming!"

The Avatar strained his neck to see past the ship into the vastness of the ocean, then his eyes widened. I was tempted to run out from my place in hiding to see what had obviously scared him so much, but I decided against it, using my better judgement.

His eyes became hard and determined again, and he returned his gaze to the soldiers that still insisted on ending him. He took in a deep breath and stuck his staff out straight in front of him, twirling it rapidly until air built up around the end. He let his breath out and shot backwards, forming a small swirling vortex of air, much resembling the braid girl's water whip. He used it as an extention of his staff, hitting and slamming the guards this way and that. He turned to his friends after tossing the last man overboard and slammed his staff on the ground, opening his glider. "Sokka, Katara, we've gotta go!"

The girl - Katara? - froze the water around a soldier's feet and nodded towards the Avatar, running to the end of the ship. The boy - Sokka - surveyed the deck, concluded that everyone was either incapacitated or in the water, and followed the girl, most likely his sister from the resemblance. The white beast sank down low enough for the two to jump on its back, while the Avatar jumped up and hooked himself around his glider, following the beast as it took off to the skies, heading for the Fire Nation, and away from whatever had forced them to leave in the first place.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

A/N: Well, this chapter was getting to be waaay too long, though technically right now it's shorter than the rest. I still had so much planned for this chapter, so I'm just gonna cut and paste everything I wrote into the next chapter! Hope you like so far, and I promise I won't take too long! Click the green button pleeeeaaaazzzzeeeee!


	4. Chapter 4: A New Trick Or Two

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Well, here's the next part of The Iris and The Lily! Sorry I broke it off so abrubtly in the last chapter, I explained why at the end of that one. Well, this starts right where the other one left off, and I'm so sorry Zuko hasn't made his appearance yet. He will, I promise! I'm just trying to take things a little slow with the whole relationship stuff.

And I read this amazing story (actually I'm still reading it hehe) and it's Zujin/Jinko, which I love now! Even more than Zutara I think! hehe Well it's called The Girl of Ba Sing Se, and it's by ba77ousai. You should check it out, it's amazing! (though slow at times, sorta like mine!)

Well, here it is! Please don't forget to review!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Four**

**A New Trick Or Two**

The silence was overwhelming. I stood slowly, anticipating something, anything, to happen, but the silence just stretched on. My footsteps seemed like they echoed throughout the world, grabbing everyone's attention. Anyone that was conscious was certainly looking at me right then.

I stood in the middle of the deck, surveying the damage. A few soldiers were on their feet, trying to help those in the water as best they could, two men hoisting up one while the rest floated in the ocean, looking very dead. I tore my eyes away from them, feeling my heart plummet at the sight. I closed my eyes tightly, resisting the urge to cry. Yes, these men were Fire Nation, but they were only following orders. They had been kind to me, in a sense; they had not deserved to die.

I sniffled quietly and opened my eyes again, blinking away the tears. _What's done is done,_ I thought, clenching my fists to combat the feeling of emptiness in my chest. I had more important things to deal with. Like the injured who were still very much alive and needed help.

My eyes rested on a man holding his shoulder, his mask slipping off his face and his eyes shut tightly in pain. I walked over to him quickly and knelt beside him. "What's your injury?" I asked, all business.

He grunted, wincing before answering. "That girl cut me with her water," he said, moving his hand to reveal an ugly, bleeding wound. "It's-... It's pretty deep. I don't even know how that's possible."

I frowned before moving his arm back over the wound. "Keep the pressure on it," I instructed, and he did as he was told. I grabbed his other arm and pulled him up to stand, his weight making me want to fall over myself and never get up. Why were men so _heavy?_

I took a deep breath and hooked his arm around my shoulders, then exhaled, shifting the air currents to run underneath his feet, hovering him not even a half-inch above ground. His weight was instantly featherlike, and I grinned to myself. Ah, the perks of airbending.

In no time, we were in Zhao's office, and I took him to the back room, laying him on a cot and pressing a towel to his wound to temporarily soak up the blood.

"Now keep that towel pressed against the cut," I told him, and he regarded me with listening eyes. "I don't want you bleeding all over the place." With that, I returned to the deck to bring down as many soldiers as I could. Those that were healthy enough to move around by themselves helped me, or stayed behind tossing ropes to anyone in the water who was still alive.

I stepped back onto the deck and sighed. Two men were helping one of the last of the injured under the deck, and I stepped to the side to allow them to pass. I spotted a man at the end of the ship, seeming to lean over the edge. Seasick perhaps?

I walked over to him, taking my time so as not to sneak up on. "Um, soldier?" I asked, trying to get his attention. "Are you alright?" I put my hand on his shoulder, then drew it back quickly, my eyes widening. Lately, it'd been brought to my attention that firebenders had a much higher body temperature than everyone else who was not. So I obviously wasn't expecting the icy cold that resonated from this man's body.

I grabbed his shoulder again, ignoring the shiver his lack of heat gave me, and turned him around, until his back hit the rim of the ship squarely.

My hands shot to my mouth, bile rising in my throat, and I turned away, shutting my eyes tightly to prevent any tears from escaping. A thick, deep line of blood was all that remained of his eyes and the bridge of his nose. Blood ran out of his mouth and nostrils, even out of his ears. His helmet fell off his head with a clang, and his body hit the metal floor, thumping behind me.

My eyes opened wide and I breathed through my nose, shallow and quick, refusing to open my mouth lest I vomit. My thoughts were racing even as my heart stopped cold. How could this have happened? The Avatar was supposed to be the savior of the Four Nations! So what was he doing? Did he just expect that if he killed all the people that opposed him then the problem would disappear?

The Avatar was just a boy, trying to take the easy way out. Doing anything to achieve his goal, whether it was right or wrong.

I heard footsteps in front of me and lifted my eyes, letting my arms fall, and stood up straight. There was one man coming straight for me, and another behind him, saw the scene and followed.

I cleared my throat and wiped my eyes, taking a breath through my mouth before saying anything. "Take him to his room," I ordered. "Get him ready for a proper goodbye."

The first man looked behind me, his eyes shocked, then nodded. "Yes, ma'am," he answered.

I knew that voice. I'd heard it when the attack started, when he and another man ran from their rooms to the deck. "Did you know him?" I asked as he and the other man grabbed his arms and hoisted him up off the floor.

He nodded, looking away. "He was my best friend," he said, his voice breaking slightly, and he cleared his throat loudly.

Then it hit me: it was the man with the green eyes. The only eyes that reminded me of home, and now they were gone, covered with the blood red of the Fire Nation.

I set my jaw and nodded low. "I'm sorry," I said, my voice just above a whisper as they walked past. I was almost sure I heard a sniffle from him, but he was gone by the time I turned around.

I sighed. Time to confront a room full of agony and blood. And I wasn't sure I was even ready.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

I sighed and sunk down in a plush red chair just outside of the temporary medical room, exhausted. I'd used a thread and needle more than I had in my entire life, even on my clothes, and pricked myself so much that I'd lost feeling in my left index finger, which was now residing behind my lips, its blood dripping onto my tongue.

I leaned forward until my elbows rested on my knees, staring tiredly at the wall in front of me. I still couldn't believe that the Avatar did this. It all felt like a bad dream, but I didn't see how I was possibly going to wake up from it. Perhaps it was a dream. Maybe I was lucky, and I was still at home, dreaming about the Fire Nation and a young and murderous Avatar.

"You look tired."

I jumped at the deep, masculine voice, and looked up, my finger popping out of my mouth and my hands hanging off my legs, elbows almost glued in place. My dull, gray eyes met blazing gold, and I couldn't stop myself from glaring. I looked away quickly, hoping he didn't notice. "Admiral," I acknowledged, crossing my arms and leaning against the back of the chair.

He nodded to me, then turned and sat down on the edge of the bed, casually leaning forward, resting his arms on his legs like I had done before. His eyes didn't leave mine, and I was slightly surprised at this. The entire time I had been here - which wasn't really that long but still seemed like an eternity - he hadn't laid eyes on me for more than thirty seconds, and now suddenly he seemed to take an interest in my existance.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes?" I asked, my voice strangely robotic. _This place is sucking the life out of me,_ I thought, heaving a mental sigh.

"You are not a liar," he said matter-of-factly.

My eyes narrowed and I straightened, immediately on the offense. "Of course I'm not!" I snapped. "If anyone's a liar in here, it's you!"

The corner of his mouth rose in a smirk and he muttered something to himself, before continuing as if I hadn't spoken. "When you offered to take your grandmother's place, I figured that you were just trying to protect her. You seem like the typical Earth Kingdom girl; living with her elders, parents killed by the Fire Nation, and you have a pathetic grudge against us because of it." Oh, how he hit the nail on the head. It only made me angrier. "But you've proven your worth, Natsuki. You even seem to have won over most of the soldiers on my ship!" he added with a gesture to the curtain and a smile.

I scoffed. "Glad I have your approval," I sneered, turning my head away from him, glaring ahead of me.

He chuckled at that, though I couldn't imagine how my anger could possibly be humorous. I stood up swiftly and turned back to him, pinning him with an angry stare. "What is it about me that you think is so funny?" I asked.

He looked back at me evenly, having to lift his head to meet my eyes. "You remind me of someone," he finally admitted. "Someone who seems to think it's their job to get in my way."

He was scowling, his eyes clouded over with memories of this person. I cocked my head a little, growing confused. "But you don't think that person is very funny, do you?"

He didn't answer. Simply narrowed his eyes, but that was all I needed.

"So why do you laugh at me but not him?" I put my hands on my hips, hoping the action looked formidable instead of childish.

A tick worked in his jaw and he stared at me for a moment longer. "Because there is nothing holding me back from killing him," he answered, his voice hard and merciless. "You, on the other hand, I have to look after." He stood up, towering over me, and I swallowed, resisting the urge to take a step back. "Believe me, there is nothing humorous about _you_," he growled, then turned away from me, the air heating up considerably. "Just be thankful that I laugh instead of silencing you."

I clenched my teeth and knew the conversation was over. I turned on my heel and stomped out, slamming the door behind me and walking up the steps to the deck.

I huffed the cold night air and made my way to the end of the ship. I placed my hands on the edge, gently, trying to adjust to the cold, and lifted my head to look at the moon. It glowed softly among a thin layer of clouds, illuminating the night sky beautifully.

But I found no solice in the moonlight. That was a waterbender's comfort, not mine. I lowered my eyes and watched the water flow around the tip of the ship. An airbender from the Earth Kingdom... Where did I belong? Where do _I_ go for comfort?

Certainly not the Fire Nation, that was for sure. I could only imagine what that place was like. The air would be smoky and the earth would be charred. None of it would provide comfort for me. Even the warmth of the fire would be a lie, a symbol of false hope.

I brought my eyes up and looked out to the horizon. We would most likely arrive in the Fire Nation Capital by tomorrow.

I sighed. I needed to airbend. I needed to full-blown airbend. Not a sneaky breath, or a little air current. I needed a big tornado, something to blow away all my troubles, blow me back home, out of this nightmare.

What was that one move the Avatar did? The small air vortex whip that he had used against the last batch of soldiers. He'd used a staff, but maybe I could just use my hand...

I breathed, in my nose, out my mouth, inhale, exhale, fists together, and let everything fall away from around me. I felt every molecule of air around me, loosened my muscles, and slowly straightened my arm out to my side, opening my eyes. I brought the air around my hand, then held it up above my head, making the air circle around my wrist. I waved it in front of me, then flung my arm out to my side.

All the air flew out into the night, abandoning me and shaking my mind. I closed my eyes and breathed, gaining my focus back. Okay, hand wasn't going to do it. But what else could I do? I had not staff, no glider...

_When in the Fire Nation, do as the firebenders do._

Not exactly a quote, but it made sense. I stuck my arm out again, this time folding all my fingers into my palm except my thumb, index and middle finger. It felt tense to me, odd and controlled; while most of the moves in airbending were fluid and natural, this felt cold and detached. How was one supposed to connect to their element with a feeling and stance like this?

I shut the feeling away, bringing the air around my wrist again. It was worth a try, wasn't it?

I raised my arm above my head, reveling in the feeling of the air swirling around me, lifting my hair and drying my tears, blowing away my troubles and replacing them with contentment.

I swung my arm to my side again, the air following faithfully, and quickly swirled my fingers. The air followed suit, twisting and contorting until it became a vortex whip, just like I'd seen the Avatar use.

I smiled wide. I'd learned a new trick.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

My eyes opened slowly. I had stayed up pretty late, practicing the air whip, and when I finally went to sleep I had to sneak into Zhao's room yet again and fall unconscious in that plush red chair near the curtain of the temporary medical room. No one had any problems during the night, but that didn't stop me from waking up nearly every hour.

It was the same dream. Every single time, I ran from the fire, the flowers burned, and I was comforted by the strong arms of a pale man. And every single time, I went back to sleep with the same question: who was he?

I sighed. Zhao was gone, his bed empty, the sheets ruffled and nearly falling off the mattress. But there was something odd about that morning...

Perhaps it was the fact that I woke up warm when I'd been sleeping in the cold.

I brough my arm out from underneath the thick red blanket and lifted it off my body as I stood. I gazed it as if it were an enigma, wondering what it was doing on me.

This was a blanket from Zhao's collection. I furrowed me brow, balling it up and tossing it onto his bed before leaving the room.

Had Zhao given me a blanket?

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Oooooooo does Zhao have a crush? lol sorry for the Zhaoness in this chapter. He's just a fun character. And omg the Avatar is evil? What's up with that? Stay tuned! ;)

Next Chapter: The Fire Nation Capital


	5. Chapter 5: The Fire Nation Capital

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Hi there! Hope you guys are liking it so far! Well, in this one they _finally_ get off that stupid ship and into the Fire Nation!

Oh, and no worries, this is still very much a Zuko-centered fanfic. Zhao is just there for drama lol

And so it continues!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Five**

**The Fire Nation Capital**

"Zhao!" I called, blinking rapidly at the sunlight as I walked up onto the deck. I glanced at one of the soldiers, sheilding my eyes from the sun with my hand, and went over to him. "Where's Zha-... Admiral Zhao?" I said, forcing his name through my teeth.

The soldier gestured to the bridge, the only covered place above deck, containing everything one needed to navigate and sail a ship.

I huffed, nodding my thanks to him, and walked around to the door. I shoved it open, and all eyes were on me. Zhao stood farthest away from me on the other side of a desk with a map on it, and a few soldiers, wearing defining badges and rags over their shoulders. Their masks were off, showing their pale faces and golden eyes.

I winced as I was attacked by the memory of the green-eyed soldier, the slash through his face, all that blood...

I blinked slowly, closing my eyes tight, then opening them, banishing the image from my mind. I stepped forward then stopped in front of the desk, settling my weight on one leg with a hand on my hips. "Boys, I need a word with the Admiral," I said, flashing a smile to the men, watching as their faces heated up. "Do you mind?" I pointed to the door.

They nodded - I saw one swallow - and loyally exited the door. I smiled at one warmly, waiting until the door shut to bring my anger to my face.

"What are you trying to do?" I asked, crossing my arms.

He raised an eyebrow and straightened his back, standing up with his arms behind his back. "Navigating to the Fire Nation," he answered simply.

I sighed. "That's not what I mean." I stepped forward and placed my hands on the desk, the map crinkling in protest under my fingers. "I went to sleep in that chair, and woke up with a blanket. I _know_ that was you."

His face dropped, and he almost looked tired, though his eyes held annoyance. "You were shivering," he explained.

"You're an evil Fire Nation Admiral!" I exclaimed, holding my hands out in front of me. "When you see people shivering, you're supposed to ignore it and move on! Especially someone like me, who _lives_ to piss you off!"

His eyes narrowed and his expression grew angry. "Now that I think about it, you're right." He slammed his hands down on the table, making me blink in surprise. "The next time you need my help, I promise you, I will leave you to freeze."

The air grew hot around us, and I knew this was one of times he was talking to me about. When he resisted blowing my face off because of his duties to the Fire Lord.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind sending my men back in," he growled through clenched teeth, his fists returning to his sides.

I glared at him for a moment longer before stepping back and offering him an obnoxiously low bow. "Of course, Admiral," I cooed, then stood up straight, turned on my heel, and slammed the door open.

The soldiers had been waiting outside, obviously listening in to the conversation, and flew back when I opened the door. I glared at every one of them. "What are you, gossiping teenage girls?" I asked them angrily. "Get back in there! I'm done with him."

They did as they were told and shut the door behind them, leaving me out in the wind. I sighed, wishing I could breathe out my anger, and walked back below deck. It was probably time to check on my patients.

Zhao's room was quiet, except for a few voices in the back, coming from the medical room. _Someone's awake,_ I thought, and pushed back the curtain, stepping inside.

The room was certainly less crowded than it had been on the day of the attack. A lot of soldiers weren't very injured, just needed to be prodded back into consciousness, and then there were free to return to their rooms. There were still about ten men on cots on the floor, but at least there was enough room to walk and administer medication properly.

Three soldiers were awake, sitting up and looking fairly lively. I was surprised to see the man with the deep side wound propping himself up on his elbows and laughing at a joke someone else had just said. Their eyes snapped up to mine the moment I walked in, and I offered them a warm smile.

"I see you guys are feeling better?" I said, walking over to the counter that held most of my remedies, picking up one and a roll of bandages.

"Yeah, loads," one of them said. He had a young face, and I assumed he was only a year or two older than me. He had a broken arm and a few bruises to his ribs. I believe his name was Shin Tao. "What was that stuff you gave me? It's better than anything the old healer used."

I smiled and let out a laugh, kneeling beside him. "It's a mix of sage, spring water, jasmine, and poppy seeds," I explained, pouring a glass for him and handing it to him, gently cradling his broken arm. I started pulling off the bandages slowly as he drank, making sure to keep the plank of wood against his arm to keep it straight. "The poppy seed dulls the pain, the sage calms you, and the spring water and jasmine make it taste good." I began wrapping his arm with fresh bandages, and took the empty glass from him when I finished.

"Well, it's a lot better than _her_ old stuff," he said. "Everything she made was bitter and nasty, and hardly worked."

"Not to mention she wasn't aging all too well upstairs, either," another said, swirling his finger next to his temple.

We all laughed at that, happy for the comic relief. This must be the jokester of the group. I didn't know his name, but he had a scar on his face and plenty of cuts on his wrists and upper arms. I could only guess that he had been fighting against the young man with the sword. I'd just call him Jokester until I knew his real name.

I moved to the one with the deep side injury, named Sosuke. He was about four years older than me, from the looks of him and sound of his voice. "How are you doing?" I asked, handing him a glass of the blue-green liquid.

"Better," he said, after chugging down the contents of the glass. He handed it back to me and wiped his mouth, cringing slightly at the movement.

I smiled gently. "Well, at least it stopped bleeding," I said, and he smiled back sheepishly. I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Do you think you can sit up?"

"I'll do my best," he said with a cocky smile, then pushed himself up. He gritted his teeth, wincing, and I put my other hand on his back, gently massaging the muscle there to help ease the pain. He let out a groan as he sat up straight, but at least he managed without much help.

"There!" I said, giving him an encouraging smile and resting my hands on my knees. "You did that practically by yourself, good job."

"Little Sosuke's a big boy now!" Jokester said, and he and Shin Tao roared with laughter.

Sosuke shot them a glare and gave them the finger, which just made them laugh more.

I rolled my eyes. "Is this what men are always like?" I asked exasperatedly, pulling the roll of bandages to my side on the floor.

"Pretty much," Shin Tao said, shrugging. "What, don't you have guys where you're from?"

"Not really," I admitted, slowly unwrapping the dirty bandages from Sosuke's torso. "It's just been me and my Grandma for as long as I can remember. Well, 'till now at least."

Shin Tao blinked. "Wow, that's crazy," he said.

Jokester cleared his throat. "You know, men are a whole lot more complicated than we seem to be."

I turned to him for a moment, giving him a doubtful grin. "Oh really?" I asked, turning back to Sosuke.

"Yeah," he said. "If you want, I could give you a few lessons, just so you don't have any more questions."

"Shut up, Haku!" Sosuke said, tossing him a look of annoyance.

"Yeah, man, you pervert!" Shin Tao added.

"What?" Haku asked, though from his voice I could tell that he'd been caught.

The question was, what had he been caught doing? I sighed through my nose. Men really _were_ confusing.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

About an hour or so later, all my patients were tended to, and most of them could stand and walk around on their own. Sosuke insisted that I let him go out on deck, and I didn't have the heart to say no. He was standing at the end of the ship, and I stood far away, leaning against the wall of the bridge, watching him to make sure he was safe.

"You've done a wonderful job as healer, Natsuki," Zhao said, coming up from the side of the bridge to stand next to me.

I let my eyes flicker to him once. I was still very irritated at him. "Your meeting is finished, I assume?" I asked, all casual fun fleeing from my voice.

"Yes," he answered. "We expect to reach the Gates of Azulon in less than an hour if all goes as planned."

"Less than an hour," I repeated, my voice nothing but a sigh.

Zhao's eyes moved to me, then looked away again. "When we reach the Gates, you will no longer be Natsuki of the Earth Kingdom. You will become Natsuki, Royal Healer for the Fire Lord."

I swallowed. My nerves stood on end as I pictured that. Me, standing near the Fire Lord? Talking to him? If I did one thing wrong... "It's a big honor, isn't it?" I asked, trying to halt my stressful thoughts.

Zhao nodded. "One that many would kill for," he responded matter-of-factly.

I blew out a breath, wrapping my arms around myself. "I wouldn't just be serving the Fire Lord, though, right? I mean, he can't be _that_ sick that often, right?"

"No, you will attend to anyone in the royal palace. The Fire Lord, Fire Prince and Princess, the royal concubines, and any manservants or maidservants that fall ill during your time."

"Good," I couldn't stop myself from muttering. At least I'd be helping out fellow servants. If I was lucky, I wouldn't even have to say two words to the Fire Lord. Just "Hi, I'm your new healer, see you later!" Though tending to the royal concubines gave me a shudder - I hoped they didn't, like, get pregnant or anything - I felt a small relief in the promise of a kindred spirit or two.

It was silent for a while, save for the crashing waves and roaring winds. I loved the feeling of freedom one gets from sailing, but honestly I couldn't wait to return to land, even if it was Fire Nation land.

"I should probably take Sosuke back down," I said finally, breaking the lack of conversation. I stepped forward, away from Zhao. "He needs to rest if he's gonna heal at all."

"Stop by your room," he said, making me turn around.

"Why?" I asked, furrowing my brow.

"Your new clothes are there," he explained, as if were obvious. "You didn't really think you could trapse into the Fire Nation dressed liked an earthbender, did you?"

I made a face and turned back around to collect Sosuke. "No, but I sure hoped," I mumbled.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

The clothes looked odd on me.

The top was hardly able to qualify as clothing in the first place. It ended just under my breasts, leaving my torso completely bare. It had no sleeves and formed a sort of triangle shape, connected to a gold ring and a thick piece of red cloth wrapped around my throat.

The skirt was just a piece of fabric with gold trim wrapped around my waist, ending in a diagonal slash above one knee and below the other. The shoes were small, gold, and pointed at the end, sharp enough to kill someone with.

I felt naked. While Earth Kingdom clothes were covering and robe-like, these Fire Nation garbs were open and tight, confining and revealing. They were showing more of my skin than they were covering.

I stared in the mirror, looking at my reflection. Apparently Zhao - or whoever had given me this outfit - had noticed the green ribbon I used to tie my thick braid that traditionally rested on my right shoulder and had given me a smaller red ribbon to replace it. I tried just switching them out, but the ribbon wasn't long enough.

So I undid the braid and let my hair fall in wavy curtains on my back. I tied the red ribbon into my hair on the side of my head, parting my hair on the side and letting my bangs fall unevenly on my forehead. I pulled a gold band up onto my upper arm and clasped two gold bracelets around my wrists, much resembling handcuffs. A captive of the Fire Nation, and now I had the shackles to prove it.

I rouged my lips until they were a bright red, just like my new ribbon, and tied the old green thing on my thigh, underneath my skirt. It was the last thing I had of my mother; I wasn't going to part with it easily.

On deck, I commanded all attention. I blushed at all the eyes on me, and I saw Shin Tao and Haku staring at me. Haku whistled when he saw me, his eyes wide, and Shin Tao elbowed him in the ribs.

I smiled sheepishly and gave them a small wave. They blinked and waved back, smiling big, wide smiles.

I came up behind Zhao and tapped him on the shoulder, all this attention giving me some strange newfound confidence. "Excuse me, Admiral," I said.

He turned, his expression annoyed, then he blinked as he saw me, his eyes growing wide. "Natsuki," he said in surprise, his voice sounding almost awed. He cleared his throat and folded his hands behind his back. "I see you've tried on the new clothes."

"Mmhm," I answered, crossing my arms and meeting his eyes evenly, smiling with confidence. "They're a little too revealing for my tastes, but I suppose I'll have to get used to them."

"Yes, yes, they'll certainly take some getting used to," he muttered, then he cleared his throat again. "Well, we'll be approaching the Gates of Azulon momentarily. If you look out over the helm, you'll be able to see it soon." He pointed to where Shin Tao and Haku stood, their eyes still glued to me.

"Great!" I turned and bounced on my feet, feeling light and airy. Normally all this attention would've made me feel uncomfortable, but that day I strangely welcomed it.

Shin Tao smiled at me, and Haku wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me to the helm with them. "Well, lookie here!" he said. "Nice outfit, sweetcheeks!"

I laughed and squirmed my way out of his arm. "Thanks!" I said. "I like it, I guess. It's sorta weird, though."

"Well, it really looks great on you," Shin Tao said, gesturing to me. His eyes raised and looked past my shoulders, and he smiled. "And here comes our third opinion!"

I turned and saw Sosuke walking up the stairs, his hand on the wall while the other clutched his side. He had on his full Fire Nation soldier uniform, so his bandages weren't visible.

I rushed over to him and ducked under his arm, wrapping it around my shoulders and slinking my arm around his waist. "What are you doing up?" I asked him, my voice stern but not hurtful.

He grunted, then covered it up with a halfhearted cough. "When I heard we were gonna be in the Fire Nation soon, I had to come up," he said. He offered me a smile, his eyes honest and hopeful. "I haven't been home in over a year. I can't wait to see my little girl again."

I was surprised by his story, but hid it underneath a smile and a nod. These men weren't merciless killers. They were just doing their job, nothing more. They had families and values just like the rest of the world. I had been wrong to blame all of them for the death of my parents.

My parents... Maybe this was a good thing, going to the Fire Nation. Since I'd be in the palace all the time, I'd see who came and went. Maybe I'd finally be able to find my mother's ex-fiance, and give him an airbending sandwich.

Shin Tao and Haku parted to give Sosuke room, and he placed his hands on the rim of the ship, holding himself up. I stepped aside and watched the sea with him, droplets of water splashing onto my face and hair.

Sosuke glanced at me with a smirk. "By the way, love the new outfit," he said, giving me a quick once-over.

I giggled, my hand raising to cover my mouth, and flipped my bangs out of my eyes. "That's what everyone's been saying," I said, but I was pretty sure he didn't hear me over the crashing waves.

A dark line appeared on the horizon, and the men began a cheer, their voices drowning out the sounds of the ocean. Shin Tao and Haku hugged and laughed heartilly, and Shin Tao gave Sosuke a high-five. Sosuke punched Haku lightly in the arm, and I laughed, stepping back so I wouldn't get caught up in the violent happiness.

Sosuke stepped toward me and put a hand on my shoulder, pulling me closer. We both leaned down, underneath the sound, and he pointed out into the sea in front of us. "There they are, Natsuki!" he exclaimed, his eyes full of joy. "The Gates of Azulon!"

I couldn't contain my laughter, and let myself get swept up in the raw celebration. Here we were, about to enter the Fire Nation, and I was in the joyous embrace of my new closest friends, three Fire Nation soldiers.

Maybe this experience wasn't going to be what I'd expected.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

A/N: Hope you liked it! I know, the title was sort of misleading (me: what? you thought we were actually going to be in the Fire Nation Capital? you silly goose!) But the next one they will finally be off this ridiculous ship, no worries. Please review, it makes all this time worth it! =)

Next Chapter: Saying Goodbye


	6. Chapter 6: Saying Goodbye

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Hope you liked the last chapter! I also forgot to say, my mom stole my laptop, so I've been writing on my desktop this whole time and it doesn't have internet. So that's why it took so long for me to update. Sorry! Well, here's the next chapter, enjoy!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Six**

**Saying Goodbye**

The ship docked and suddenly the entire space was filled with soldiers. Some greeted long lost friends, others hugged their children and kissed their wives, and others even dropped to their knees and kissed the wood of the dock.

Haku was one of those people.

I laughed at him, Shin Tao joining in with me, while Sosuke rolled his eyes. He walked over to him and pulled him onto his feet by the back of his shirt. "Get up, man," he said, though he couldn't hide the traces of a smile on his face, "you look pathetic."

Haku shrugged him off and adjusted his sash. "Hey, I'm just glad to finally be off that hunk of junk," he said, tossing a glare back at the ship. "All the testosterone in there was killing me. I'm ready to get back to my girls!"

"What girls?" Shin Tao said, crossing his arms and giving Haku a doubtful look.

Haku gave him the finger, and I laughed. I stepped in between them and put my hands up. "Calm down, guys," I said in between giggles. "I think I liked you better when you couldn't talk."

"What, are we _men_ too much to handle for you?" Haku asked, making a show of his biceps, earning a slap upside the head from Sosuke behind him.

Shin Tao stuck his hands behind his back and scuffed his feet on the dock. "Well, I'd better be getting back to Jeni," he said nervously.

I assumed that was his girlfriend, and smiled. I patted him on the back. "Go ahead," I said. "I'm sure we'll see each other sometime."

He gave me a smile and a short hug. "Put a good word in the palace for me," he said. "Who knows? Maybe I could be in the royal guard!"

I grinned wide and let out a laugh. "I'll do my best," I promised, and stepped back to let him leave.

It was quiet for a moment as it weighed on all of us. This would probably be the last time we'd all see each other, at least for a very long time. They'd go back to their families and lives, and I'd be in the palace. Then they'd be back off to war again.

The only real Fire Nation friends I had, and they were leaving me. Forever.

I heaved a heavy sigh, then blinked slowly before turning back around to face them, smiling bright. "So!" I started, trying to lighten the mood. "Who wants to be my buddy? I figure I probably have an hour or so to see the city before they shackle me up."

Haku laughed a little, and Sosuke grinned. "I don't know, I should probably check on my parents," Haku said, sounding like he'd rather be anywhere else than where he was going. "They were so freaked when I told them I was joining the army; I should probably drop in and let 'em know I'm still alive."

"I think that would be a good idea," I agreed, giving him a goodbye hug. "See you soon," I muttered as he left, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.

Sosuke stepped forward. "Then I guess that leaves me to be your date," he said, grinning.

I smiled. "You don't have to, you know," I assured him. "I mean, you seemed so eager to get back home..."

He shrugged. "It'll just be a little while, right? Besides, I could use a good refresher. It feels like years since I've seen this place. I wanna see how it's changed."

I nodded. "Alright then, let's go!"

He smirked and held out his arm for me to take. Maybe this place wasn't going to be so bad after all.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

The tour was great. Sosuke and I had the best of times running around the marketplace, glancing at things we'd like to buy, playing pranks on the shopowners, watching people lose all their money gambling. I had never imagined how alive this city was. It contradicted with all the thoughts I'd formed on the journey, and left my head spinning.

We spent a good hour with each other before we finally reached the vicinity of his house. He stopped, getting control of his laughter, and wiped a little sweat from his brow. A man had chased us down the street for tipping over his cart full of cabbages, and we'd been running for our lives for the past two minutes.

"Well, my house is right over there," he said, pointing behind him with his thumb. "I'd better be going."

_Going? You're going to leave me alone in the Fire Nation?_ I pouted, trying to hide how terrified I was. "Yeah," I agreed, running my fingers through my hair, moving it off my face, where it was sticking. "I have something for you, though, before you go."

"Oh really?" he asked, his eyebrows raised in mock surprise. He held out his hand. "Then by all means, hand it over."

I rolled my eyes and dug in my bag, fishing out a medium-sized jar of blue-green liquid. I held it out to him. "It's just some more pain medication," I explained. "It's better than anything you can get from the marketplace, and completely free."

He grinned. "That's kind of you," he said, reaching out to grab the jar.

Electricity shot though me as his fingers closed around mine. I took a sharp intake of breath through my teeth, my eyes growing wide, staring into his.

His golden eyes held the same shock as mine, and his hand twitched on mine.

I blinked and let go, clasping my hands together in front of me. "So, um, there you go," I muttered nervously, looking away from him, at anything that wasn't gold. But since most of the doors were lined with gold, all the pots were gold, and they held gold-spotted Fire Lilies, it was a little tough.

"Yeah, thanks," he said. "I, uh, have something for you, too."

My head snapped up to him, a blush coloring my cheeks. "You do?" Why would he have something for me? And what could it possibly be?

He nodded, his hand rummaging in his pocket until he pulled out a thick-sewn bag with black writing that was too small for me to really read. I took it from him, being careful not to touch his hand, just in case that electricity came back.

I untied the yarn and peered inside the bag, my brow furrowing when I viewed it contents. My eyes traveled back to his. "Poppy seeds?" I asked.

"For your stores," he explained quickly, seeming nervous for the first time since I'd met him. "I figured you'd be running low, what with all the other injured men. So this way you can have some when you run low next time."

I smiled, almost disbelieving this was really happening. It was the first time I'd been given a gift for no reason, just at random. It was so sincere, so unexpected... "Sosuke, this is so... sweet," I said, tying the bag closed again and stuffing it in my bag.

He let out a little chuckle, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. His eyes looked up as his hand brushed his ponytail, and he made a face and pulled the ribbon out of his hair, letting it fall. It just barely reached his eyes, and naturally flipped to the side, reaching the nape of his neck in the back.

I was stunned by how handsome he was. He had a nice face, I'd already known that, but now that he had long, light brown hair framing his high cheekbones and dusty gold eyes, he was a dream.

And he was a head taller than me.

My heart skipped a beat, and my face heated up even more, if that was possible. Could he be the man from my dreams? He fit the quota. Strong, well-muscled, sweet, and a head taller than me. And he was a firebender!

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," he said, his voice jolting me out of my thoughts.

_Goodbye? But you're my dream guy!_ "Yeah, looks like," I said, unable to keep the sadness from my voice.

He set his jaw and held out his hand for me to shake.

A hand. A hand, and then he'd turn and leave, out of my life forever. The man of my dreams. I couldn't let him leave like this.

I took a few quick steps to him and embraced him tightly, burying my face in his chest and holding him close. I was surprised when he wasted no time at all wrapping his arms around me as well, ducking his head so his chin rested on the top of my hair. "Natsuki, I -" he began.

"Sh," I said, raising my head enough to look him in the eyes. "Don't say anything."

He looked at me for a moment, then nodded, his hand finding its way to my chin, lifting my head until my lips met his.

His heat ran through me, from his lips, his hands, his body up against mine, making me hot and nervous. My heart pounded in my chest, making my head hurt, but I could care less. His mouth was on mine, his hands on my waist, and it felt amazing.

But somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that it didn't feel _right_.

He pulled away just as I did, looking into my eyes, showing me the very emotion I was feeling in those golden pools. He knew this wasn't right, and he felt as guilty as I did.

"Sosuke..." I started.

"I know," he said, his eyes flickering away from mine.

_Look at me._ My hand reached for his face, but I jerked it back before I could touch him. I stepped out of his arms, my head bowed low, my bangs erasing his face from my vision. "We have to say goodbye now," I said plainly, my voice hard, trying not to shake.

He sighed heavily, and his hands stuffed in his pockets. He scuffed his feet on the ground, but still said nothing.

"I mean, you're married, you have a kid, a little girl, no less." I blew out a breath and blinked slowly before raising my head to look at him. "Sosuke, I don't think we should -"

"Don't say that," he said, pleading with me with his eyes. "Look, I know. That shouldn't have happened in the first place. So, can we just forget it ever did? Just pretend like it didn't happen?"

_I don't want to pretend. I like that it happened._ "Yeah, I... I guess that could work." Who was I kidding? It wouldn't do any good. The memory would be there. How would he feel when he faced his wife, knowing what he'd just done? Would he feel guilty? Like he'd cheated? Or worse:

Would he even care?

"Okay," he said. "So, it's _really_ goodbye now."

I nodded, and forced a smile, holding out my hand. He hesitated, but shook it, grinning his small, nearly invisible grin.

And then he turned and left.

A hand, and he was gone. Out of my life.

Forever.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

A/N: Well, this was a bit shorter than I had planned, and it was supposed to be a LOT longer. I had to cut it short, though, because the scene with Sosuke was getting really long, and I have to stick with my five-page-long chapter plans. And I will say it yet again, this is a Zuko centered fanfic. It revolves around him, worships him, bows down to him, and kisses his feet. Sosuke is a very important experience for Natsuki, as was Zhao. And it also gives you an idea of how gorgeous she is lol since she's got all these guys fawning over her.

Well, I hope you like so far! And I plan on having her meet Zuko in chapter 7, and at the very least chapter 8. I'm trying to take their relationship slow, like I said before. Please review if you like, and even if you don't, whatevs! Tell me what you want to say =)

Next Chapter: Exploring


	7. Chapter 7: Exploring

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Hope you liked the last chapter! I can't believe how fast these are coming out. It's like they want to be written! Please review, it makes me very very happy.

Also, if anyone knows the Earth God/Goddess please let me know. Cuz I know the Water Tribe has La and Tui, and the Fire Nation has Agni, but what about the Earth Kingdom? Please let me know, many thanks.

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Seven**

**Exploring**

I took a deep breath, in through my nose and out my mouth, as if I was airbending. Time to pretend.

I turned around, walking back toward the marketplace. Away from Sosuke and his... wife. The word hurt to think about, so I pushed it away. Alright. So Sosuke had a wife, big deal. We were only friends.

Nothing happened. I repeated the words to myself as I entered the square, bustling with activity. We never kissed. We were only friends. Nothing happened between us.

The kiss never happened.

My first kiss... never happened.

I closed my eyes, fighting back the tears that threatened to blur my vision. Wow. Grandma had told me plenty of stories about when she was young. Her first crush, first kiss, first love...

I just hadn't imagined it to be this painful.

I knew I didn't love Sosuke. I'd known him for what, a day or so now? I didn't know him enough to love him. I hardly even knew him enough to _like_ him!

So why did it feel like I was leaving a trail of the pieces of my heart with every step I walked away from his house?

I shook my head, trying vainly to clear away the thoughts running through my mind. Sosuke was a good friend, one that I would treasure for the rest of my life, but he would never be mine. End of story. And now that I'd figured out who the man in my dreams was, maybe I would stop having the dumb dream in the first place.

A new place, a new beginning. And I would start in this marketplace. It seemed to have a plentiful selection of herbs and remedies that I could learn and perfect, maybe tweak a little to make them perfect. I figured I'd be seeing a lot of this place; may as well get used to it, and explore it with a smile on my face.

I blinked slowly, let out a long, heavy sigh, and opened my eyes with a new perspective, the traces of a grin on my lips.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

When I'd walked through the marketplace with Sosuke, it'd seemed like a busy, bustling city meeting ground, filled with opportunities, great deals, and fun.

Now, by myself, I saw it in a different light.

These people weren't happy. They were acting like they were, with big smiles painted on their faces so you'd look, and maybe take a gander at their mechandise. Deep inside, they were watching every passing person with wide eyes, pleading for them to buy something so they could feed themselves.

The people walking the streets all had their hands in their pockets, not because they were trying to keep themselves from buying everything in the square, but because most of them carried knives, and they were clutching them for dear life. Too many desperate people in one city; doubtless there were many out there, waiting in the alleys for someone who walked just a little too close.

I crossed my arms and stuffed my fists between my upper arms and chest, trying to hug myself without seeming crazy. This place wasn't a wonderland.

It was a prison.

"Fresh fish! Get your fresh fish! Young lady, fish?"

"Fine jewelry! On par with that of the late Fire Lady! Fine jewelry, ma'am? Gold, silver, we've got it all!"

I kept my eyes straight forward, shaking my head when anyone's attention was drawn to me. I suddenly only wanted to get back to the dock and find Zhao. What if he wasn't at the dock? Oh, goodness...

"Fresh herbs!"

My head snapped in the direction on the voice. It was an older woman, old enough to be my mother, as a matter of fact, and her smile was the only real one I found, though her eyes held a sadness, telling me that no one had bought anything from her yet.

"Excuse me!" I said, pushing past a few people to get to the stand. "Hello, you said you were selling fresh herbs?"

She smiled at me, her eyes lighting up immediately. Hers were a beautiful bright gold, catching the sun like my bracelets did. She had thin, nearly unnoticeable lines around her mouth when she smiled, and her crows feet got a little deeper, but other than that, she looked young and vibrant. Her hair was a very dark brown, nearly black, and it was cut short, ending in jagged lines at the nape of her neck, as if she'd cut it herself with a knife. Her bangs were pinned up in a barrette on the top of her head, taking them out of her eyes and showing off her porcelain skin.

"Yes," she answered, gesturing around to the plants and herbs gathered inside the stand. "You'll find only the freshest and rarest here, I assure you. Is there anything in particular that you're looking for?"

"Um, yes, actually." I opened my bag and took out a small list I'd made, with all the herbs that hadn't been brought back from the mountains. "I need camomile and aloe, please."

"Alright, I'll have that right there for you, ma'am," she said, turning away to shelf through the various plants. She turned around with the plants in hand and gingerly wrapped them in a thin layer of plastic before handing them to me. "Is there anything else you'd like?"

"Actually," I started, the thought just popping into my head, "do you have any seeds for any of these herbs? It would be so useful to have some, so I wouldn't have to come back here everytime I run out."

She placed her hand over mine and leaned forward so she could lower her voice. "I know exactly what you mean," she said, understanding in her eyes, and little bit of fear. "This place gives me the creeps. It's feels like there's danger around every corner, you know what I mean?"

"Exactly!" I whispered back. "I'm not buying anything valuable here, just in case I get mugged!"

She laughed a little at that, which confused me at first, but soon I joined in. How funny was that? We were laughing about getting mugged! I think I liked this woman!

"Alright, well," she said, getting back on track. "I have poppy seeds, dill, thyme, and oregano."

"Hm... I don't need any poppy seeds," I said softly to myself, my heart hurting at the thought of Sosuke. "The dill would be useful, I suppose. Maybe the thyme... Oregano?" Well, the palace probably had plenty of chefs, but then again who knew what Fire Nation food tasted like? It was probably spicy, charred and fiery. I'd rather have something to make it taste better than just stomach it. "Alright, I'll take two packets of dill, and one of thyme and oregano, please."

"Alrighty, here you go!" She gave me the small knit packets, and I thanked her and gave her the money.

"Oh, Earth Kingdom money?" she asked, holding up the brass coins in the light to examine them.

Oops, I forgot about that. "Yes, that isn't a problem, is it?" I asked anxiously.

"No, of course not!" she said, and laughed a little at my face. "Don't look so worried! No, I travel a lot, and this would be much more useful around the Earth Kingdom instead of Fire Nation money. Maybe I'll stop getting so many glares around the marketplace in Ba Sing Se!"

I laughed at that, letting my worries flow out with the giggles. "If you don't mind my asking, what's your name? Just so I can find you again."

She smiled, though I could see something in her eyes that wasn't quite right. It looked like she was... sad? "Yes, of course," she said. "My name is Midori."

I blinked. "Midori," I repeated, my voice sounding much like awe. "That's a beautiful name."

She let out a laugh. "Thank you very much," she said graciously. "May I ask yours?"

"Um, yeah! It's Natsuki."

"Natsuki," she said, her voice peaceful, almost motherly. "Your name is beautiful as well."

I smiled. "Thanks," I muttered. "Well, I'd better be going."

"Where are you staying?" she asked. I was immediately suspicious, but her face was innocent, not nosy.

So I decided there was no reason not to tell her. "I'm actually going to be staying at the palace," I answered, then left before she could say another word.

My hand grabbed the strap of my bag by force of habit, but also for some subconscious need for some sort of anchor to hold onto.

Well, I'd made a friend, that was a good thing. And I had all the herbs I needed for a while, and with the seeds I could start a garden - with permission from the Fire Lord, of course - so I didn't have to keep coming to this death trap of a market. And maybe I could keep what Earth Kingdom money I had for when I finally got out of there.

If that ever happened.

I sighed and closed my eyes, stopping where I stood. _I shouldn't be thinking like that,_ I thought. _Of course I'll get out of here. They can't keep me here for my whole life!_

_Can they?_

I chewed on my bottom lip and looked at the ground. What if they really didn't let me leave? I'd never see my Grandma again, not even Miyuki, even though she did get annoying sometimes. I'd never go home. I'd never be able to see the lilies and irises like my mother had.

My life was over.

I scoffed at that. What a teenager-like thing to say. My life wasn't _over_, it was just -

I gasped as an arm grabbed mine, pulling me back and making me trip over my own feet. Before I understood what was happening, another hand that smelled like dirt and sweat clamped over my mouth, and I was dragged into the shadows of the alleyway that I had foolishly stopped near.

"Alright, little girl," the man said, his voice gruff and soft, crackling like he was sick with strep throat. "Just give me your money, and I promise I won't hurt you."

'I promise I won't hurt you'? Seriously? He should be more worried about himself.

I narrowed my eyes, making sure no one could see us, before slamming my back into his chest, making him stumble backwards a few steps, even further into the shadows, eliminating any chance for witnesses.

"What the -" he said, and I could hear the anger in his voice. Apparently he wasn't used to being resisted.

Well, there's a first for everything, isn't there?

I flipped my palm around so it was facing him and flicked my wrist, quickly, sending a small, but concentrated, stream of wind at his knee. It buckled immediately and he yelped, letting go of me to hop on one foot and grab hold of the area of pain.

I turned around and shifted my weight onto my back foot, took two steps toward him, then swept my front foot across the ground, lifted it, and swung it fast to the side, sending a curved air blade at him. It cut at his stomach, but not deep, and the force of it sent him flying backwards, somersaulting over himself until I couldn't see him anymore.

I huffed and wiped the dirt off of my sleeve, adjusting my bag on my shoulder before I walked back out onto the streets, a smirk on my face.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Turns out my fears had all been irrational. Zhao was waiting for me at the dock, standing at attention in front of the wooden bridge to the ship.

His golden eyes burned through me as I walked up, and I didn't even have to ask to know that he'd been waiting for a long time and had been wondering where I was.

"I know, I took forever," I started, "but -"

He held up a hand to shut me up. "It doesn't matter," he said, his voice flat and uncaring, though I could hear the undertone of frustration. "The Fire Lord has been informed of our arrival and is waiting for you in the throne room. We must hurry; he does not like to kept waiting."

My eyebrows furrowed, but I nodded nonetheless. I'd never seen him be so formal and businesslike before. Either he was really mad at me and trying not to rip off my head - though I couldn't understand how being late would piss him off _that_ bad - or he was honestly _afraid_ of the Fire Lord.

Normally such a revelation would stun me. Zhao, afraid? But then again, who wasn't afraid of the Fire Lord?

And here I was, about to be face-to-face with this war mongrel. I swallowed and followed Zhao as he began walking, and guards fell into step behind me, on either side. It was a well-known fact that air fed fire.

I just hoped I didn't end up getting myself burned.


	8. Chapter 8: Part of the Fire Nation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Okay, so I thought that last chapter was going to be really long and it wasn't haha. It was just the same length as all the other chapters, so woot! I hope you like so far! In this chapter, ZOMG, we get to meet Fire Lord Ozai!!!! And probably get aquainted with Zuko (and Azula...), so feel free to yell "Finally!" haha Please review, don't forget!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Eight**

**Part of the Fire Nation**

The door loomed in front of me like a black hole, waiting to suck me up into no return. Take away my happiness and leave me empty. The Fire Nation insignia stood out on the gold and seemed to be hot; even looking at it made me sweat.

"Are you ready?" Zhao asked beside me, tossing me glance from the corner of his eye.

I looked at him and cleared my throat, swallowing before I answered. Though it was strange that he was even taking an interest in my fears, I was beginning to stop being so surprised. He had showed me more than once that he was capable of human emotions, and I was beginning to learn. "I think so," I breathed, nodding slightly.

He nodded back, blinked, and returned his gaze to the door. He knocked twice, the sound resonating through the hallway. I could swear I heard it inside the next room as well.

"Enter," a voice said from behind the door.

I shivered, my eyes growing wider without my even noticing it. His voice was cold, powerful, terrifying; everything an evil dictator strived to sound like.

The door opened before I could open my mouth - as if I could've said anything at this point - and I was temporarily blinded by the light of fire.

I felt a hand brush mine, and I assumed it was Zhao's. So he was capable of sympathy, too? Too many surprises in one day.

I resisted holding my hand in front of my eyes to dull the luminosity, and simply dealt with squinting, hoping desperately that the Fire Lord couldn't see. I stepped forward with Zhao and the soldiers behind us; only four remained now, the rest had stationed themselves at different points in the palace on the way to the throne room.

Zhao kneeled when we were only a few yards away from the wall of fire, separating us from three thrones on the other side. I did as he did, occasionally stealing glances at him to make sure I was doing everything right. I bowed my head as low as I could manage, straining the muscles in the back of my neck.

"So," the Fire Lord said, his strong voice carrying over the fire to us, past us, echoing throughout the entire room. "This is our new healer."

"Yes, my lord," Zhao responded, his head still bowed. "She has traveled here from the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. She has proven her worth as healer, and will serve you well."

"Proven her worth, has she? How is that?"

"We were attacked by the Avatar while at sea," Zhao explained, his tone never changing from the matter-of-fact expressiveness. "Many were injured, and a few were killed. By the next day, only five were still incapacitated."

"Hm." He was quiet for a moment after that, leaving me to freak on the inside. 'Hm'? That was it? Was it a good 'hm' or a bad 'hm'? An indecisive 'hm'? What if he decided I wasn't worthy? What would he do with me? Would he let me go?

Would he kill me?

And then I had the answer, straight from his lips. Whether I would live or die.

"Very well," he said. "Chambers will be secured for her, and I will arrange for the execution of her predecessor, as well as her marking." He paused for a moment, then continued, in a seemingly softer voice, though I could've been mistaken. "Raise your face."

I could only assume he was talking to me, so I did as I was told. Thankfully, yes, the shadow that was his face was turned to me instead of Zhao, and I hadn't done anything out of turn. However, I still didn't speak. I was already in enough danger just by being within Fire Nation walls, let alone doing something the Fire Lord wouldn't like.

"What is your name?" he asked.

Oh no. The question I'd been dreading ever since I entered the palace. I knew it would come eventually, I just hoped it wouldn't have to be the Fire Lord asking. Why did he even care? Didn't he have more important things to worry about than how to formally address his healer, someone he probably wouldn't even see for the next year or so?

Natsuki. My name is Natsuki. Natsuki of the Fire Nation. Natsuki of the Earth Kingdom. Natsuki the royal healer. Natsuki the mountainside healer's granddaughter.

I couldn't be both.

"Sen," I answered, blinking. I felt Zhao's eyes on me, but he didn't move as far as I could see. "My name is Sen, m-my lord." I bowed forward on the tips of my fingers, then rose again, not quite sure what the customs were in the Fire Nation, so I improvised.

He appeared to nod, from the way the shadows fell on his face. "Sen," he began, testing out the new name, which he was sure to forget in the next five minutes if his schedule was nearly as busy as I imagined it to be, "you will follow my son, Fire Prince Zuko, to your new chambers. Speak with the other servants; they will answer any questions you have during your stay."

I nodded, bowing again, trying to force down my blush. "Thank you, my lord," I said, faking confidence, then stood and turned away immediately. He'd already seen my face one time, and that was already one too many.

Zhao strode behind me, and I could practically feel him seething. The air around him was hot, rolling off him in waves, and I braced myself for an explosion once the doors shut behind us.

I wasn't surprised. The guards dispersed and Zhao immediately cornered me, grabbing my arms and forcing me between the wall and pillar connected to it. I stopped myself from letting out a yelp at the pain, but clenched my teeth together and struggled. "Get off, Zhao!" I said, loud enough to be angry but not to alert anyone to what was happening.

"Why did you lie to the Fire Lord?" he demanded, his grip tightening as he forced me back against the wall so I couldn't move.

I set my jaw and looked away. "I have my own reasons," I answered simply, quietly.

"Whatever your reason are, they aren't important!" He let go of one of my arms to grab my chin and turn my head so I had no choice but to look at him. "When the Fire Lord finds out about this, you will be killed."

As the meaning of his words sunk in, the anger slowly dissipated from my face, replaced by a subtle look of fear. "You're not going to tell him, are you?" I asked, my voice monotonic.

He blinked, then sighed, looking away. "No," he finally answered. "But Agni, Natsuki, why couldn't you have picked a different name?"

He turned away and walked off, disappearing too soon for me to ask what he had meant. Why was Sen any different than any other name? I shook my head, turning down the hall. Now where was this Prince Zuko?

I didn't have to look for very long. As soon as I turned into another corridor, I was met face to face with who I instantly assumed to be Prince Zuko.

He had dark brown hair, almost black, pulled into a ponytail and stabbed through with a royal-looking flame accessory, and was as pale as everyone else in the Fire Nation. His eyes were the same gold as all the others, but his seemed to glow, shine and swirl like liquid. They were mesmerizing; I couldn't help but stare. I hardly even noticed the terrible scar on the left side of his face, forbidding him to open his eye fully.

"Come with me," he said, his voice masculine and grundgy, like there were two people speaking. One, a royal prince, bound to his duties. The other, a boy, forced to give away his childhood for his crown. I could practically hear his whole life in his voice alone.

I nodded, unable to find my voice, and swallowed silently, hoping falsely that that would help.

He led me down a series of hallways, left, right, right, left, in every which way one could think of until my head was reeling just trying to keep track of it all. Finally, we reached a door in between many others, about five feet apart from each other, so I could only imagine how small these rooms were.

He opened the door and stood aside, allowing me to enter first. I was surprised at how gentlemanly he was acting; he was the prince, and I was the sevant, shouldn't the roles be switched here?

Nevertheless I passed by him into the room. I was absolutely right; it was small. Definately liveable, and bigger than my room back at home - I needed to stop referring to the Earth Kingdom as home; this was my home now, no matter how much I wished it wasn't - but it was still in the 'small' category. There was a full size four poster bed, a rug, a desk, and lots of shelves. I was already figuring out where I would put my herbs and such later, in a force of habit.

I walked inside further, nearly forgetting the Fire Prince behind me, and he shut the door before walking in after me.

"Your patients will be kept in the room next door," he said, as if he'd read my mind, and gestured at the door adjoining this room to the next.

_Perfect,_ I thought, letting myself smile a little. And the Prince didn't seem too bad, either. He was handsome, and even though he was royalty he wasn't a jerk about it. Just a little distant, that was all. I probably wouldn't be seeing much of him, anyway, so it's not like I'd have to make conversation with him all the time.

Though having him watch me was getting a little awkward. "Well, um," I started, trying to find a polite way of telling his royal highness to get lost.

"Stand still," he said, walking toward me.

My eyes widened. "W-What?" I stuttered, resisting the urge to take a step back. Okay, this was getting weird. I blushed; he was only a step away now. One more step...

He stopped right in front of me, his hand grabbing my right shoulder, keeping me in place. He looked determined, angry, but from the curve of his lip, a little disgusted. Was I revolting to him? What was going on?

He removed the flame accessory from his ponytail, but it stayed in place because of the ribbon wrapped around it that I hadn't noticed before. He pressed the cold metal against my left shoulder; it fit nicely on the spot, though I had no idea why he was doing what he was.

The metal started to heat up. At first I was confused, but when it began to grow uncomfortable, I squirmed a little. "What are you- Ow!" It was _really_ starting to hurt. "Hey, quit it! OW! That _hurts!_"

"Stand still," he repeated, more forcefully this time. His teeth were clenched, and his eyes looked straight at the metal flame symbol, avoiding my eyes.

"Stop it!" I struggled as hard as I could, the metal growing hotter and hotter, until it _burned_.

He narrowed his eyes and shoved me back against the pole of my bed, wrapping my wrists around it and grabbing them with his free hand.

Tears gathered in my eyes, and I stopped struggling. There was no point; he'd already proven that he was stronger than me. And I couldn't very well airbend in front of the Prince of the Fire Nation, unless I wanted to get myself killed.

I sobbed, the pain growing, the smell of burning flesh filling the already putrid, smoky air. I heard the Prince utter a small "Quit crying" under his breath, and that just made it worse.

Finally, he removed the flame accessory, and I immediately fell to my knees, grabbing it, despite how hot it still was. The tears made my makeup run, my hair stick to my face. But I didn't care. All I cared about was the pain, and the monster that had caused it.

His footsteps grew quiet, and the door opened and shut as he left, without a word. I was part of the Fire Nation now, and had the mark to prove it.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

It had gotten better. The dead skin had rubbed off after I used a pumice stone on it, and now it was just a black flame-shaped mark on my shoulder. I felt like a cow-moose. I'd been _branded_. It was inhumane!

I applied more aloe to the wound, gradually letting it cool. There was nothing more I could do except make sure it healed as it should and didn't get infected.

I walked over to the mirror to see myself. My eye makeup had smeared in lines down my face, my hair still desperately clung to my cheeks, refusing to dry. My bottom lip was swollen from me biting it to keep myself from crying out from the pain.

And the black mark glared me, reminding me of my new home.

I grimaced and moved my hair over my shoulder so it covered it. My sleeveless shirt that had once been cute was now not nearly enough. I wanted to crawl under a blanket and lay there for the rest of my life, just so no one could look at me.

I turned away and sat down on my bed, heaving a sigh. If this was what my life here was going to be like, I was going to have a lot to get used to.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

A/N: So, the chapter title was different than what I said it would be. I do that haha because whenever I finish a chapter, the chapter title seems to be wrong for the chapter. So I usually end up changing it when I finish. So I think I'll stop doing that, just in case you get annoyed by that. Instead, I'll give you a small hint of what's to come in the next chapter! However, I do know for a fact that the next chapter will be called:

**UNCLE IROH!!!!!!!**

(minus the bold and capital letters lol)

So be excited! Cuz everybody loves Iroh! He is the true comic relief of the story, and he's still wise and badass. I wish he was my grandpa lol he's my hero =3


	9. Chapter 9: Uncle Iroh

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Okay, I'm sorry if anybody in the last chapter was OOC. I'm not really used to working with people like Ozai and Zhao. Well how do you like Zuko so far, right? haha The relationship's off to a pretty rocky start, to say the least.

Okay, anyways! Back to the story haha Please review, tell me what you think!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Nine**

**Uncle Iroh**

(a/n: Okay, you can't deny it, when you saw that chapter title you totally geeked inside. am I right?)

What happened to not dreaming about that guy?

Again, another nearly restless night, dreaming about running from fire into a man's arms. Scratch that, _Sosuke's_ arms. But I was never going to see him again! So why was I still dreaming of him?

I wasn't in love with him, was I?

I rolled on my side, hugging my pillow to my face. No, of course I wasn't. I'd known him for, what, three days? Four, at most. It was probably just because he was the first honestly decent man I'd ever met.

Sure I loved Sosuke. But as a _friend_. Just like how I loved Haku and Shin Tao. I wanted to see them again, and I'd miss them, but I certainly would never kiss them!

There. No more dreams. They were not allowed to invade my nights any longer. _You hear that, dreams?_ I thought to myself, smirking at my sillyness. _Get lost! Nobody wants you here!_

A knock at my door made me force my eyes open, and I sat up in my bed to see who was opening the door. _Not him, not him_, I repeated, even though there was absolutely no reason why he would even be anywhere near me, let alone this room. _Please, not the Prince again._

I was lucky. A woman, looking to be in perhaps her late thirties, stood in the doorway, balancing a small basket of clothes on her hip. Her expression was blank, tired, and professional. Her dark brown hair already had a few prominent gray streaks in it, which contrasted with her relatively young looking face.

"You are needed in the prisonhold, Miss Sen," she said matter-of-factly.

"What?" I asked sleepily. I rubbed my eyes, getting used to the bright light. Did they always wake up this early? The sun was at eye level, just above the horizon! _Well, firebenders do rise with the sun don't they?_

_Yeah, but I still never imagined they were so literal about it!_

Great, I was arguing with myself, and I hadn't even had enough time to honestly go crazy yet.

"The prisonhold," she repeated, already looking relatively annoyed. She shifted the basket and let out a soft sigh. "You are needed to deliver food to the prisoners."

My eyes narrowed in confusion and I sat up in my bed. "That's not my job," I said. I hadn't meant to sound mean; it was only a sleepy observation, a small thought, wondering why I would have to do something that didn't heal people.

"Yeah, well maybe if all the soldiers weren't off defending our lives, you could sleep in a bit more, huh?" she spat back, glaring at me, before turning on her heel and disappearing, leaving the door wide open.

I sighed. "I didn't mean it like that," I muttered, but threw back the sheets and stood up on the cold wooden floor. I grabbed a brush from my bedside table and began absentmindedly brushing my hair while walking over to the door and shutting it. I walked over to my bureau and set the brush down, opening a drawer and sifting through the clothes until I found something suitable.

It was very simple. A red robe with gold trimmings, short sleeves to cover my mark, and a tie to keep it closed. I put it on; it fell to about my knees, a suitable length. I tied the belt on the side and pulled it tighter around me, letting the fabric hug me. I couldn't stand things that didn't touch my skin. It made me feel naked. And I needed as much comfort as possible in this foreign land, with strange customs and barbaric ways of treating the lower class.

I tied the small red ribbon in my hair, fixed my bangs, and walked out of my room, looking around to find someone who could tell me which way the prisonhold was.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

I opened the heavy metal door with much difficulty. The man who had guided me here had left when he pointed out the door from across the hall, and I was left alone to fend for myself. Apparently these people had no tolerance for ignorance, and they expected me to learn the ropes within the next day or so.

I was going to have to start taking notes.

With a grunt, I finally pulled the door open and let go of it, massaging my palms as I walked inside. It was a narrow hallway that led on for a short while, lit only by lamps holding at least seventy glowbugs or so. The prisoners were firebenders, I was doubtless of that, so it only made sense for the prisonhold to be void of anything that could be linked to fire. Not too long ago, I'd heard of a story about an earthbender who taught herself, while in imprisonment, how to bend metal, since it was made of earth. It made me wonder if someone could do the same with firebending, though I didn't see anything that could be used as a fire source.

The hallway led to a small staircase, leading down into another hallway. This one was wider, however, and had rooms on the left side, barred off, with hungry-looking men and women inside. As I walked by, I heard quiet grunts of a man trying to find a comfortable position on the stone floor so he could sleep; a woman sighing heavily in between quiet sobs and quick breaths; sounds that I could only assume was a man pleasuring himself in a corner of his cell, and I made a face and looked away, disgusted.

Finally, I came upon a man in a soldier's uniform, sitting in a chair, looking quite relaxed and quite bored. He had the standard ponytail and mutton chops, along with the typical golden eyes. "Um, excuse me, sir?" I asked tentatively, reaching out my hand to tap on his shoulder in case he was asleep, or daydreaming perhaps.

His head turned in my direction, and my hand quickly returned to my side. He gave me a quick once-over before raising his eyebrow ever so slightly. "So you're the new healer?" he asked, uninterested.

I opened my mouth to answer, then screamed and backed against the wall as the woman in the cell in front of me slammed into the bars, her hands reaching for me and odd blabbering sounds coming from her lips. I grabbed the baton leaning against the chair of the guard and began whacking it against the bars, my eyes wide with fear, until she whimpered and backed away, retreating to the back of her cell.

I sighed heavily, leaning forward and putting my hand on my heart. I dropped the baton, then smoothed my hair as I stood up. "Yeah, that's me," I answered him, looking back at him tiredly.

He smirked and stood up, leaning down only long enough to pick up his baton. "Alright, well, you're supposed to watch this guy here," he said, gesturing to the cell in front of his chair, which looked to be the biggest one.

"W-Watch him?" I asked, stuttering. "Isn't that a job for... I don't know, someone more like you? I mean, you're a lot stronger than I am; what if he does something weird?"

He folded his arms and laughed. "No worries there, li'l missy. That old man is a failed General with no family. And now, his own _nephew_ just turned on him. He's basically retarded; he just sits there and doesn't say nothing. Makes my job easier." He leaned forward and muttered in my ear, "But personally, I think it's sorta fun to rough him up a bit, ya know? Just talk about his son, that really gets to him."

And with that, he sauntered off down the hallway, laughing and swinging his baton against the bars of the cells, making the inmates squeal in fear and run away; some of them cried. I faintly smelled the tangy odor of urine somewhere down the hall, and my hand instinctively went to my nose, pinching it so I couldn't smell. I stopped myself from puking, swallowing the bile in my throat, and walked to the far end of the cell that I was to guard, getting as far away from the smell as I could. Thankfully, when I breathed again through my nose, I couldn't smell anything terribly repugnant, save for sweat and old blood.

I allowed myself to sit in the chair the guard had occupied until recently; it was still warm. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my legs and my chin in my hands, looking into the cell.

It was dark, but I could distinctly make out a figure inside. He sat with his back towards me, white hair draping down his back to touch the floor, dust and soot dying it gray in places. He looked to be overweight, but not terribly; it reminded me of the stuffed platypus-bear I'd seen a little girl playing with when I was young. How I'd envied her for having such a nice toy. The most I'd ever had were flowers, seeds, and new pots with soil.

He looked so pitiful, so alone. Strangely, it made me want to talk to him. Let him know that there was someone out there who cared, even if it was a stranger.

"Hello," I said, as kindly as I could manage. "My name's... Sen." It was still hard to get used to that. But using my mother's name made me feel a little more comfortable, as if by pretending to be her some part of her was with me.

His head seemed to turn my way slightly, and I took that as a good sign. At least he was listening.

"I'm sorry about that guard," I continued, motioning to the hallway he'd just left from. "He seems like a real jerk. I don't know anything about you, or your past... I don't even know your name... but it still doesn't seem right for him to try and push your buttons like he does. I imagine it must get pretty terrible sometimes, huh? I mean, as if it's not bad enough being stuck here in the first place."

He was turned halfway toward me at this point, and I could see his profile, even though it was basically a silhouette.

I stood and walked forward until I was right in front of his cell, then kneeled, gently grabbing the bars. "Will you let me see your face?" I asked timidly, hoping I wasn't going too far. He seemed to have the potential to open up to me; I didn't want to lose his trust with one simple question.

He hesitated, the turned toward me fully, scooting forward a bit until he was in the light. He had a receding hairline, though not too bad, and had random dirty strands of hair falling in his face and on the sides of his jaw. He had bags under his golden eyes, and they smoldered like the Prince's had, giving off a light of their own in the darkness. They, along with his skin, retained a youthful glow to them, contrasting with the rest of his appearance. A small, almost unnoticeable smile rested on his thin lips, and his eyes weren't open all the way, giving him a very wise, yet tired, look to him.

The air of wisdom around him stunned me so much that I took in a breath from my mouth, which made me cough violently. The air was ever worse down here! It must be where all the machines sent their smoke, instead of in the air around the palace. Well, if that was true, then at least the air outdoors must be clean. Thank goodness for that.

When I finally caught my breath, I ached for clean air. "I'm sorry, but do you want some fresh air? I know I do." Without even waiting for an answer, and basically without thinhking at all, I sent my arms out in front of me, gathering the smoke of his cell and the area around me in one giant ball. I rolled my hands to condense it, the sent it down the hall, up the stairs, and into the first hallway, as far away from us as possible.

I took in a deep breath through my parted lips, leaning my head back to enjoy it, then blew it out in a short blast, my mouth a small 'o', and watching it swirl around itself.

Then I realized I'd just airbended in front of a Fire Nation witness.

My eyes snapped to him, wide and alert, scanning his face for any sign that he would betray me. But I found nothing except slight surprise and a curious fascination. And still, that little smile that seemed to shake years off his appearance.

"You can keep a secret, can't you?" I asked fervently, searching deep in his eyes.

He smiled, his wrinkles creasing, and said, "Of course."

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

It was many hours lated and I was still thinking about my conversation with the elder prisoner.

I'd been so surprised that he could indeed speak, let alone with the fact that his voice was just as strong as his eyes had foreshadowed, that I simply sat there, staring at him with wide eyes and an expressionless face.

He seemed to laugh silently, his shoulders shaking, and his smile grew while his eyes crinkled kindly. "Have you lost your voice all of a sudden?" he asked, fixing himself so he was sitting cross-legged, his hands resting on his knees.

I stuttered for a moment before I forced my tongue to obey. "No, I just assumed that you were a mute."

A heavy silence immediately fell on us, and I swallowed. Had I possible offended him, again?

And then he threw his head back in laughter. It was a rich sound, strong but comforting and gentle, and I let myself relax.

"You are brutally honest, my child," he said, wiping the corners of his eyes as if he were tearing up, "and I find it quite refreshing." He got control over his laughter and returned his eyes to mine, his smile still remaining, giving me no choice but to mirror it. "You are a solid thought in a head full of hot air."

I let out a half-hearted laugh at that. "Isn't that the truth," I muttered.

He just smiled and let the comment slide, sensing that I didn't want to elaborate. I was a grounded Earth Kingdom girl in the middle of the passionate Fire Nation; of course people were going to notice that there was something different about me.

"So, how did someone like you end up somewhere like this?" I asked, positioning myself comfortably, figuring I'd be there for a while.

"I could ask you the same question," he responded, gesturing towards me.

I briefly considered telling him, but decided it wouldn't be in my best interest. No matter how kind and trustworthy this man seemed, I'd better keep my secrets secret. "It's a long story," I finally admitted.

"Likewise," he said, a michevious glint creeping into his eyes.

I sighed, laughing under my breath. "Are you always this elusive?" I asked exasperatedly.

He chuckled and patted his stomach heartilly. "Only when I'm hungry."

I laughed at that, smiling wide. "Well, I'll be sure to bring you some tea next time I come by, okay, Mr..." I trailed off as I realized I had no idea what his name was.

"Ah, please, call me Uncle," he said, bowing his head to me respectfully.

I bowed my head in return, smiling to myself. I found it funny that he didn't tell me his real name just I hadn't told him mine.

"And make it jasmine, if you wouldn't mind," he added, the childish look on his face once more.

I grinned and nodded. "I'll be sure to do that, Uncle," I replied.

Nearly seconds after that, the guard from before returned, letting me leave. Uncle turned away as I left, going back to his spot in the shadows. I heard a soft melody as I walked away, one that my Grandma used to sing to me when I was upset. Before I knew it, I was singing along quietly to myself, mumbling the words as I walked.

"Little soldier boy, come marching home. Brave soldier boy comes marching home."

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Okay, I know the chapter title might have been a little bit misleading since he didn't actually tell her his real name, but oh well.

Either way, I'm still really happy about how Iroh turned out here. I added a little metaphor, and made him cryptic and nice and funny, and there! Viola! You have Iroh.

I don't really have any idea what I'm going to do for the next chapter. I have a scene in my head, but no idea of what I should do before and after said scene, so don't expect a chapter in the next, like, day or something. Review please! Hope you liked!


	10. Chapter 10: Job Requirements

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Woot! Chapter Ten!! I'm so excited hehe BIG event in this one. Get pumped everybody!

Are you pumped?

Okay, let's go! (And don't forget to review!)

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Ten**

**Job Requirements**

As the healer of the Fire Nation royals, it was my job to take care of anyone who fell ill or got injured during my time there. I was to be ready whenever I was called to contain the sickness or stop the blood flow before it got out of hand. But since no one was sick or bleeding profusely on the new tapestries, the working force of the palace were beginning to think of me as an extra hand to use as they will.

And for the past three hours, they felt it was my duty to wash the floor.

I rinsed out my rag in the bucket, wringing it dry, trying not to let the splash out onto the clean floor of the hallway. If I had been completely lost that morning, I centainly knew my way around now. I must've cleaned every hallway in the entire palace and seen every doorway, chamber, and ballroom that it had to offer.

"How ya holdin' up?" Dana, the other servant girl who had been working with me, asked. She had light yellow hair, like the color of sunshine, and bright blue eyes like the sky. She would be very beautiful if it weren't for her crooked nose and missing front tooth. She told me it happened a few years ago, when she was thirteen; she had insulted one of the concubines and she had punched her for it. The healer didn't do a good job, and her nose had never truly healed correctly. She also mentioned that she was incredibly happy that I had taken her place.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I grumbled, sighing. "I'm almost wishing someone would hurry up and get sick already."

Dana laughed and wrung out her washcloth. "You've actually got a pretty nice life set out for ya here," she said, her voice holding hints of something that sounded like envy. "I mean, you've got protection, status; ya get to talk with the royals... Not to mention ya get free time with the Prince." She said this with a dreamy look on her face and goofy smile.

I grimaced, looking away and pretending to busy myself with cleaning a spot on the floor. "I'd actually rather to see him as little as possible," I mumbled, still loud enough for her to hear.

"Why?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch and volume. She scooted herself closer until she was next to me, trying to catch my eye. "He's so eloquent, 'n powerful, 'n handsome... not to mention the scar! It makes him seem so old, but in a cute way, ya know? Like he's seen a few things, ya know? He's a fighter, you can tell, and that's one thing I _love_ in a guy. I need a man who'll fight for me, ya know? Keep me safe, and love me most of all! But when I really look at the Prince's personality, I'm not really sure he's ever loved anyone. But who knows? Maybe there's some whole 'nother side of him that we don't know about."

"Maybe."

"You don't talk too much, do you, Sen?"

"I only talk when I have something to say."

She let out an exasperated sigh and began scrubbing a spot across from me. "How can you not have anything to say about him?"

"Oh, I have _plenty_ to say about him!" I exclaimed, throwing my head up so I could look her in the eyes. Then I caught myself, and looked down slowly, returning to my work. "I just don't think I should say it, that's all."

It was quiet for a moment as we working, the force of my outburst having blown away any friendly conversation we'd been having.

Finally, Dana broke the silence. "You can say it, if you want."

I looked up at her in slight confusion.

She looked away, feeling awkward. "I mean, I'd like to consider us friends, ya know? So you can tell me these things, okay?"

I blinked. Friends? She wasn't anything like Shin Tao and Haku, _certainly_ nothing like Sosuke. But she was nice, talkative, open and accepting. Yes, I think I could be friends with her. And I wouldn't be saying goodbue to her any time soon, either.

"Alright," I sighed, leaving my washcloth on the floor as I sat up straight. I didn't really know what words to say. I didn't know how to explain it to someone else. All the fear, emotion, tears; how could they be formed into simple words?

So finally, I just took my hand and lifted up my sleeve, baring my shoulder to the world.

Her eyes didn't widen. I saw no surprise on her face, no horror, no look of "Oh, Agni, what did he _do_ to you?"

Just pity, understanding, and sadness.

She blinked. "Oh," was all she said.

"You've seen it before, haven't you?" I asked. So I wasn't the only one.

She nodded, and moved her hair to the side. She turned around, showing me the nape of her neck.

And there rested her mark, only slightly different than mine. The skin around it was still pink and healing, looking something like a fresh rugburn.

"Oh, Dana," I said, feeling hopelessness weigh on me even heavier than before. "Is this happening all over? I mean, are they doing it to everyone in the palace?"

She nodded, moving her hair back to cover it. "Mostly the people closest to the royals," she explained.

"Why?" I asked. "It's so barbaric!"

"While you're here, ya learn some things. What the royals like, what they don't like, what they're scared of, what their secrets are, what the new battle plans are..." She trailed off, knowing that I understood.

"So the Fire Lord's afraid of blackmail?" I asked.

"In a way," Dana answered, sounding truly serious for the first time in the past three hours. "I guess what he's really afraid of is these things leakin' out to people who would use it against him. Blackmail is just a borin' game until he can off the person who has the information. But if that person gets out, and worst of all tells people, well then he's got a big problem on his hands, 'cause suddenly the Northen Water Tribe knows they're gonna invade next week! Hypothetically, of course," she added quickly.

I nodded, taking in the new information. "So then the marks..."

"Ways of trackin' down anybody that gets loose. Anyone with a mark has the potential to know somethin' they shouldn't. So when ya leave, they can find ya and shut your mouth ya even think about shoutin' out their secrets."

I sat there for a moment, contemplating this. "It's odd, but in a sick, evil way, that's actually pretty smart."

"Of course he's smart! How else would he have conquered the Earth Kingdom?"

I winced, but covered it up by faking a sneeze. Ba Sing Se was gone for good. My mother's home had fallen to the Fire Nation, just as she had. And now, I'd come to the same fate. It seemed like everything I loved was not the property of the Fire Lord.

Dana coughed, a wet, nasty sound, then wiped her hands on her robe. "I really would like to see the war end, though. I mean, why can't the Water Tribes just give up already? They're fightin' a losin' battle, and gettin' all their soldiers killed. I hate to see all those poor little waterbenders stuck in our prisons. It's just unnecessary, ya know?"

I nodded, and winced again as Dana coughed one more. "Careful, or you'll spit out a lung," I warned lightheartedly, but I was starting to get concerned. She really sounded horrible.

She laughed, but it quickly turned into another heavy coughing fit. "I don't know what's wrong with me," she choked, and slammed her fist against her chest several times.

I quicky wrung out my washcloth until it was mostly dry, then handed it to her. "Here, use this, not your hands."

"Thanks," she managed to say, before coughing violently into the rag. Finally, she took a breath, clearing her throat.

"Are you okay?" I asked, watching her carefully.

"Yeah, I think I'm..." She stopped suddenly, looking at the washcloth with eyes slowly growing wide.

"What, what's wrong?" I asked. More forcefully, I repeated, "Dana, what is it?"

Her eyes found mine, and she slowly turned the washcloth to me, so I could see what had her so scared.

My breath caught in my throat.

The rag was covered in blood.

Immediately, I stood up, my instincts taking over my body while my brain still tried to process what was happening. "Come with me, quick," I said, grabbing her hand and taking off down the hallway.

"Where are we going?" she asked between shallow coughs, stumbling over herself while trying to keep up with me.

"My room," I explained, breathing fast, moving my legs faster than I ever had before, save for when I was airbending up the mountainside. "I have to get you to a sanitary room soon, before you spread whatever virus you have."

She didn't answer, only coughed more into her hands or elbow, until she could hardly breathe. I knocked over a guard or two at a sudden turn in the hallway, thankful now for the three hours of work; it was important that I knew how to navigate through this massive castle.

"Sen, my chest hurts," she said weakly, only a breath, before coughing more and tripping over her feet.

I was brought down with her, but quickly jumped back on my feet, pulling her back up with me. "Come on, Dana, it's only a little farther," I coaxed, then turned back to the hallway.

I turned another corner and knocked someone over, yelling to all the others littering the place, my voice carrying easily over theirs. "Get out of the way, quickly! Stay far away!"

Everyone stepped aside, filing along the walls of the hallway, women looking scared, men looking confused and, in a few circumstances, irritated. I recognized a few soldiers from the ship, but didn't see them long enough to remember who they were.

I ran past them, the faces becoming a blur, until I turned another corner into the hall where my room resided. I slammed open the door and took her immediately to the adjoining room where the sick were to stay. There were about five beds, each separated by curtains, giving the illusion of privacy. There were tables next to each of the beds where I could give them water or set medicine for them to administer as needed when I wasn't there, and chairs scattered here and there for whatever purposes I gave to them. It was a very standard medical room, but I was thankful for it.

Now that she was safe and secluded, I could finally calm down. I pointed out a bed and told her to lay there, and she did as she was told.

"My throat hurts," she said when she had found a comfortable position. Her coughs were weak now, mostly air, though I kept a few rags on the table next to her in case it got out of hand again.

I smiled gently, and patted her shoulder. "I'll get you some water," I said, then turned to leave.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Dana was asleep now after I had given her horehound and lemon balm tea, and I was now cleaning the dishes in the kitchen after dinner. They had strange food here, very spicy, but not terribly or inedible. It seemed they ate a lot of meat as well. No wonder the men were so muscular; I had yet to see a full-grown man in the palace that was scrawny. Even Uncle had seemed to be relatively well-fed. I'd have to get him his tea sometime soon; I enjoyed talking to him.

_This is taking forever,_ I thought, drying a dish and setting it on top of the dry dish pile on my left. I sighed, bouncing a little on the balls of my feet. "There! Dishes are clean and dry."

My happiness died instantly as I checked the small list the cook had given me before going off to bed with everyone else, besides me of course. I still had to put away all the dishes into their cabinets.

I lifted my head to look at my next task. There were four piles of dry dishes, two mountains of silverware, and countless other items, such as teapots and woks, that had their own little homes. I sighed heavily, feeling daunted and tired already. How was I going to get all this done before morning? And I still had to take care of Dana before I went to sleep, and have to wake up periodically during the night to make sure she was okay.

I blew out a breath, readying myself. No use brooding about it. Might as well get it done so I could get to sleep as soon as I could, even though the quality of said sleep would be hideously awful.

My breath rattled the silverware, making a soft clinging sound, as I accidentally airbended. Immediately, instinctively, I looked around to make sure no one was around. My eyes found no others, and I smiled. That gave me an idea.

I lifted my arms, the air circulating around me. The plates started to hover, the silverware rattling again, gently lifting off the countertops, the teapots and woks hoisting themselves into the air. I moved my arms, and the kitchenware followed. With every flick of my wrist, a plate went into a cupboard, a drawer opened, until the kitchen was bustling with activity - by inanimate objects no less!

My movements became a dance, and my hair blew in the wind, my clothes ruffling around me. I spun around, letting out a laugh at the pure bliss of airbending, molding the molecules of the very atmosphere into whatever shapes and patterns that I desired. I closed my eyes, reveling in the feeling, then opened them again.

My own gray eyes were met with sparkling gold.

I stopped spinning instantly. My hands stilled, my body stiff, as if I had somehow become a statue in that one instant. The kitchenware stopped still in the air, quavering, as if waiting for whatever would happen next.

Prince Zuko stood at the entrace of the kitchen, staring straight at me.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

OMG!!! She's been found out! mwahaha and what a cliffhanger! I love cliffies, they make me feel evil D Well, you'll just have to wait 'till the next chapter so see what happens next! Hope you liked! Please review!


	11. Chapter 11: You Weren't Supposed to See

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Woot! Finally get to see what happens after that outrageous cliffie! Hope you like! Don't forget to review please!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Eleven**

**You Weren't Supposed to See That**

Absolutely everything was silent. The air had stopped moving - probably controlled subconsciously by my fear - just as I had, stone cold where I stood as Prince Zuko's eyes of fire bore me down from across the room.

Finally, my concentration slipped from me completely. The silverware fell to the ground, clattering incessantly, and the plates dropped from the air, hitting the floor and shattering into pieces, scratching the newly waxed wooden finish.

There was no sound after that, save for the pounding of my heart. The Prince of the Fire Nation had just seen me airbending. What was going to happen now?

Prince Zuko didn't say anything; just stared. He was not surprised. He was not confused, nor scared, nor in disbelief. He looked angry, but that wasn't quite the word. His gaze was predatory in the way he looked at me, like he was the wolfbat and I was the cricketmouse.

I shivered, swallowed, and shook. I did everthing but what I should've done. I should've run away right then, ran as fast as I could out of the castle, and kept running until I was safe, and ran more even then.

Footsteps sounded distantly, matching the beat of my furiously terrified heart, until a soldier, with clothes ruffled from sleep and mask half on, entered the kitchen, standing next to the Prince.

He huffed, then stood up straight, trying to retain as much dignity as he could. "I heard a crash, your highness," he said, very matter-of-factly, although there was actually a touch of concern in his voice. Either he was a termendous actor or he was genuinely concerned about the Prince's welfare. "Are you alright?"

The Prince was quiet for a moment, just looking at me, before finally answering. "The healer just dropped a plate," he said monotonically. "Nothing happened but her clumsiness."

And with that, he walked away.

The soldier gave me a look, then gestured to the shattered plate. "Clean that up," he ordered, then exited the room after the Prince.

I was stunned. I took in a breath, then realized I hadn't even been breathing that whole time. My body moving mechanically, I bent down to gather the larger shards of the china in my hands.

Why didn't Prince Zuko say anything? He'd just seen me _airbending_ in the _Fire Nation_ for goodness sake! I would think the Prince would follow the rules of his kingdom. But apparently not.

The question was: _Why_ not?

I winced as pain shot through my arm. A jagged edge of the piece plate I was holding had sliced my hand. I blinked, frowned, and stoof, placing the shards that I'd gathered on the counter, and walked to the sink. I ran my hand, palm up, under the cold water, ignoring the pain it caused, and watched with an odd sense of emptiness as the blood flowed into the sink and was slowly washed away...

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

The hallways at night in the palace were completely different than in the daytime. They were completely empty, save for the guard or two pacing down the corridors, the only sources of light the torches on the walls and the bits of soft moonlight silently breaking through the windows. My footsteps sounded like a lionturtle had found its way into the palace and was stomping through the halls; I'd forced myself to walk toe-first with all my weight gathered in my ribcage from nervousness that I'd wake someone up.

I nodded to a passing guard, then returned my eyes to the floor, watching my feet move back and forth, back and forth, carrying me across the ground. My head was still racing, and my heart certainly hadn't recovered from the excitement yet. I placed my hand on my forehead as it started to ache, and grimaced. I'd have to chew on some poppy seeds before I'd be able to get any sleep that night.

I turned a corner, then yelped in surprise as I ran into someone. I took a step back, raising my head to see who it was, my mouth already open to apologize.

It was Zhao.

He blinked, his eyebrows raising when he noticed it was me. "Natsu- Sen," he said, catching himself before he revealed me to the nearby soldiers.

"Admiral Zhao," I said respectfully, nodding to him in something that could be constrewed as a casual bow. Why was it suddenly so awkward seeing him? It was only yesterday that he'd been introducing me to the Fire Lord, when he had comforted me beforehand, even if it had been in a subtle, almost unnoticeable gesture. Just the other day we'd been on the same ship together, talking every day. Despite how much he angered me sometimes, I'd consider him my friend.

And now it came to this. A cold greeting, in the middle of the night, in a hallway. Was this what it would be like when - _if_ - I saw Sosuke again, or Shin Tao, or Haku? What about Grandma? If relationships died so quickly over here, when we were so close by, what would it be like to see my own family again?

Zhao looked around and noticed the soldiers glancing at us curiously. "It's rather late, isn't it?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Shouldn't you?" I countered, raising my eyebrow at him.

He set his jaw. Ah, there was the Zhao I remembered. "I have things that require my attention to deal with," he answered, very coldly.

I smirked. "This late at night?"

He looked away in a way that made it seem like he was rolling his eyes. "Yes, this late at night," he grumbled.

I smiled. "You wanna talk about it?" I asked, moving to the side so I was in his line of view.

His eyes snapped back to mine instantly, the look in them wary and suspicious.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on, who am _I_ gonna tell?" I asked, crossing my arms and shifting my weight onto my left leg.

The corner of his lip turned up in a very vague smile. "Still haven't made any friends, have you?" he asked condescendingly. Ignoring a glare from me, he continued. "Nonetheless, it's best that I keep this to myself, until the time comes when I can report it to the Fire Lord."

"Suit yourself," I replied nonchalantly, giving him a shrug.

"But I do hope we talk again soon," he said, his voice growing quieter as he spoke. He lifted a hand and his fingers brushed the side of my face as he pushed back a lock of my hair.

My smile slowly disappeared as I met his eyes. I swallowed, nervous under the intensity of his gaze, the unfamiliar heat of his hand on my face. My face felt hot, and I realized I was blushing, though from nervousness or embarrassment I couldn't tell.

"Goodnight, Natsuki," he whispered, his hand dropping, before he finally walked away.

I stood there for a moment, and my hand found the spot on my cheek where his had been, still warm from the contact. My brow furrowed in confusion, but I couldn't help myself from whispering back a tiny "Goodnight, Zhao."

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

I blinked slowly as I wrapped the bandages around my hand, heaving a sigh.

"Somethin' botherin' ya?"

My head snapped up, and I locked eyes with Dana. She had propped herself up on her elbow and turned to the side, so she could look at me. Her forehead was a little sweaty, and hair stuck to her face in some places, but other than that no one would even be able to tell that she was sick.

I shook my head, closing my eyes. "Yeah... I mean, no, it's..." I sighed, then lifted my head and opened my eyes, blinking tiredly. "It's fine, everything's great."

She gave me a smile that told me she didn't believe me. "Ya sure ya don't wanna talk about it?" she asked again.

I nodded. "Yeah," I answered. "Maybe later, when I'm not so tired," I promised. Even though I knew that promise was never going to come true.

She shook her head, then flopped back down on her back, pulling the blankets up to cover her. "Ya should get some rest, Sen," she suggested. "I'm gonna go back to sleep, and I feel fine. Haven't been coughin' since this afternoon. Besides, you've got a big day tomorrow; ya need all the sleep ya can get."

I looked at her quizically. "Big day?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

She waved her hand in the air as if it was something typical. "The Fire Lord introduces ya to the public tomorrow," she explained. "You're a pretty big deal, whether ya think so or not, and he thinks his people deserve to know about ya." She opened one eye and looked at me. "Every Fire Lord has done this since Sozin; really, I'm surprised ya didn't know about it."

I rolled my eyes and tied off my bandage. "I don't know _anything_ about the Fire Nation! I mean, figuring things out here is hard enough; now I have to act like one of you guys in front of a giant crowd? Is there anything more I can be put through?"

Dana opened her mouth, but was cut off by a knock at the door of my room. I furrowed my brow in confusion and got up, walking into my room and heading for the door. I opened it, and my eyes went wide.

Prince Zuko made his way past me into my room, nodding as he walked by, then turned to face me when he reached about the center of my room.

I closed the door and turned to him, avoiding his eyes, always looking at least three inches lower. "Prince Zuko..." I started nervously. "About what happened in the kitchen... you weren't supposed to see that."

He ignored me. "Let me see your eyes," he said, in a very commanding tone, not even the slightest hint of curiousity.

"Prince Zuko?!" Dana asked incredulously from the other. "Oh, Prince Zuko what are you doing _here?_"

I sighed heavily, blushing red from embarrassment. "Dana, you should be sleeping!"

"But the Prince -"

I walked over and shut the door, cutting off her voice. I turned back to Prince Zuko, cringing. "Sorry about that," I said, fixing my bangs, trying to find some way to busy my hands. "What were you saying, your highness?"

"Your eyes," he repeated emotionlessly, crossing his arms as if he was growing annoyed with me.

"Oh, right," I said, looking up at him. I swallowed; his eyes still held the same predatory look as before, but now it seemed even more intense, like he was concentrating, thinking.

He nodded. "You have the same eyes the Avatar had," he said finally.

"Had, your highness?" I asked, picking up on his unusual choice of words.

"Yes, had," he said, tilting his head slightly, as if he was interested. "Why?"

I blinked and looked away. So the Avatar must've been killed sometime after he attacked the ship; that was the only explanation. "Nothing, your highness," I answered at last. "It's just... on my way here, he attacked the ship I was traveling on. I didn't know he was killed."

"Hm," was all the Prince said about that. "Follow me," he said abrubtly.

My eyes shot back to his. "What?" I asked. "My lord, forgive my rudeness, but it's so late out. Couldn't this wait until tomorrow?"

"No, it can't," he said, aggravated. "Now hurry up." He opened the door and left through it, without even waiting for a response.

I quickly moved my feet and followed him, wondering where he could possibly be taking me.

He led me down many hallways, turning this way and that, until I was completely lost, even after this afternoon. I was reminded of my first time down these halls, and shivered at the memory of my marking. Where was he taking me, and for what purpose?

After a long while, until my feet had begun to hurt, we emerged, through a small back door, into a pathway of dirt and malch, surrounded by vines and high-reaching plants. The moonlight sifted through the leaves to lay small silver specs on the ground, making me almost feel sorry for stepping on them. It was so strange; I'd never seen this place before. It was odd that such a beautiful, soft place existed in the fiery, destructive Fire Nation.

It was almost too beautiful to be real. The dew on the plants seemed to make them sparkle, make the petals of every flower shine like they were smiling. The further we went, the taller the plants became, trees sprouting up here and there, vines crisscrossing over themselves, leaves shading the pathways, until it felt like we were practically in a forest.

"Prince Zuko," I asked when he appeared to be slowing, "why are we here? What is this place?"

"A garden," he answered obviously. He turned to me, stopping where he stood, and looked me in the eye.

And then, he clenched his fists and shot a blast of fire at me.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Wow! Nice cliffie there, right? Mwahahaha! I am having so much fun! Don't worry, it won't be too much longer till the next chapter, I hope, so you won't have to kill yourself for too long. Don't forget to leave a pretty little review! They make me so happy =)


	12. Chapter 12: A Nice Hot Cup of Tea

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Wow, what a cliffie there, huh? I am having so much fun with these things! lol Hope you like this next chapter! The plot's finally starting to move along, isn't it? Don't forget to review!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Twelve**

**A Nice Hot Cup of Tea**

My body reacted before my mind could process what was happening. My arms lifted in front of me, one before my waist, the other in front of my face, palm facing my attacker. I called forth a shield of swirling air; the fire's heat just barely reached me before the force of the wind blew it away.

I just barely saw Prince Zuko's eyes narrow in the fading light before the absence of the fire. In less than a second, everything was pitch-dark, and I could no longer see my surroundings, let alone my opponent.

He seemed to notice this just as I did, for he didn't create any more light. Neither of us were unaccustomed to the darkness but, judging by how quickly and surely he'd made his way here, he was familiar with the surroundings. He had the advantage.

"Prince Zuko..." I muttered, trying to track him from the sounds of his footsteps, though it was hard; he was barefoot, and there I was, wearing those ridiculous high-heeled curvy-toed Fire Nation shoes.

He had every single advantage. He was under cover of darkness, untraceable and silent, surefooted, and a master firebender. And in this remote, closed-off garden, no one could hear or see what was going on.

Then the realization hit me, and I sucked in a breath, my mouth going dry.

He was going to kill me himself.

"Prince Zuko!" I tried again, louder this time, growing more desperate. I turned around, my heels clacking against the cement square, and tried vainly to see, to find any silhouette of him, a piece of darkness darker than the rest. "Please, about earlier today, you don't... I mean, you weren't supposed to see that."

"You were going to keep it a secret?" he asked, his voice coming from behind me.

I whipped around instantly, searching for him blindly. "No!" I exclaimed without thinking. Then I grimaced. "Well, yeah, but what else was I supposed to do? If anyone found out I'd get killed! And now _you're_ gonna kill me, so I guess I was -"

"You think I'm going to kill you?" he asked, his voice somewhere to my right now.

My brow furrowed and I turned to my right slowly. "You're not?" I asked, lowering my voice as my mind processed the situation.

I heard a whooshing sound, and the square was bathed in light. I turned around, and there he stood, a ball of crackling fire in his hands.

His brow was furrowed as mine was, though there was still that everlasting look of anger in his eyes.

My mouth moved before I could stop myself. "Why are you angry?" I asked quietly, curiously.

He looked at me through the hair that had fallen into his eyes - it really looked much better down - then blinked and looked away, at the ground. "I only attacked you," he said, ignoring my question, "because I wanted to make sure that what I saw was real. That you were really an airbender."

I had to admit that in an odd way, that made sense. It seemed that people did a lot of smart things in odd ways around here. But then something occurred to me, something I hadn't had the time to think about before.

"And what if I _wasn't_ an airbender?" I asked, putting a hand on my hip and gesturing to him with my other hand so he would understand how upset I was about this. "Did you think about _that?_ About how _hurt_ I would've been?"

He didn't answer, but that was a good enough response for me.

"You were just thinking of yourself, and about getting the answers you wanted." I'd almost completely forgotten who I was talking to; with his hair down and his simple robes, he looked like a mere manservant or a refugee. "You need to think things out before you -"

"Don't tell me what to do!" he yelled, cutting me off, the fire in his hand flaring up and crackling wildly. "Who are _you_ to tell _me_ what to do? You don't know me, you don't know what I want, and you don't know what I think! So don't talk like you do!"

I stepped back and my eyes widened. He was a bomb, a rock resting in a catapult just waiting to be lit on fire. If I wasn't careful, the string holding him back would snap, and I'd be left for dead.

He threw the fire he held to his side before stomping off, fading away into shadows as he walked father away from the light.

I let out a breath, then blew out the fire with a quick flick of my wrist at the base of a plant, avoiding breathing in the smoke as I passed.

I'd cheated death today, but I'd blown my cover to a boy who seemed to hate me. How long would I be here now? How much longer could I skirt by the rules with the consequences catching up?

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

When I returned to my room, Dana, of course, had many questions.

"Was that really Prince Zuko? It was, wasn't it?"

"Where did he take you?"

"_Why_ did he take you?"

"What did he say?"

"How did he look?"

"Did he look at you?"

"Aren't his eyes amazing?"

"Why aren't you answering, Sen? Is something wrong?"

And to that, I finally answered, "I'm just still tired, Dana. Get some sleep, and drink that remedy I gave you."

She sighed softly, then cuddled under the blankets. "Okay. But we'll talk tomorrow, okay?"

I hesitated in the doorway, then shut the door behind me, silently refusing suggestion. I didn't want to talk about it, not then or for a long time after. Especially with her. Even though she was my friend, she obviously had a raving crush on the Prince, and all she would do while I was talking was defend him and take his side and end up talking about his sexy eyes or something of that nature.

I sat down on my bed, blinking, though I was everything but tired, despite what I'd said to Dana. My adrenaline was still pumping from my encounter with Prince Zuko.

This had been a long night. Dana had gotten sick, Prince Zuko had caught me airbending, Zhao had brought down his guard around me (which still confused me very much, and I promised myself I would figure out what he was doing), and then Prince Zuko had attacked me! This job was proving to be more dangerous than I'd ever though it would be.

I was thirsty. Perhaps all that fire had caused my throat to dry, perhaps it was just the persistent fear, it didn't matter to me.

Water? No, I wanted something better. Something to calm me down, make me feel at home. Something warm and sweet...

 Tea.

I furrowed my brow as a memory came to mind.

_"Well, I'll be sure to bring you some tea next time I come by, okay, Mr..." I trailed off as I realized I had no idea what his name was._

_"Ah, please, call me Uncle," he said, bowing his head to me respectfully._

_I bowed my head in return, smiling to myself. I found it funny that he didn't tell me his real name just I hadn't told him mine._

_"And make it jasmine, if you wouldn't mind," he added, the childish look on his face once more._

_I grinned and nodded. "I'll be sure to do that, Uncle," I replied._

I felt a smile creep onto my lips, and I couldn't stop my thoughts from arranging themselves. It'd been an entire day since I'd last seen Uncle, and I would imagine that would seem like an eternity to someone in prison, especially with that horrible guard. Perhaps it was about time for that hot cup of tea.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

The prisoners were sleeping, so luckily no one jumped up and tried to grab me, and therefore I didn't scream and wake up the guard. He was sleeping, yet again, in his chair overlooking Uncle's cell. It made me wonder: did he ever pay any attention to the other prisoners, or just dump all his hate on Uncle?

I rapped quietly on the bars, sticking my face up close, trying not to inhale the sharp, tangy smell of rusting metal. "Uncle!" I whispered loudly, always keeping the guard in my peripheral vision. Didn't want to be standing there when that jerk woke up.

He had seemed to be sleeping, which wouldn't have surprised me; he was hunched over, sitting in the same corner as before, drenched in lonely shadows. But his head snapped to the side, and he moved his body around so quickly and nimbly that for a moment I questioned whether or not I stood in front of the right cell. But sure enough, his golden eyes stared hopefully and happily into mine, and a smile slowly lit his face as he made his way over to the bars. I noticed that he, too, kept a close watch on the guard, letting his eyes flicker to the sleeping man once or twice until he was in front of me, calloused and dirty hands gripping the bars in a mix of desperation and relief. "Sen," he said warmly. "It is so nice to see you again. What brings you here? And so late?"

I lifted up the tray I had prepared. Two cups sat on either side, with a kettle in between the two. "I figured it was about time for that jasmine tea you wanted," I replied, smiling.

I poured the tea and handed him a cup from my side, which he accepted graciously. He said nothing about it, but I could tell from the look in his eyes that he knew what was behind my smile. Not the warmth and happiness I tried to show him in those moments, but a confused little girl in an unfamiliar world about to burst into tears.

Everything seemed to be changing so fast, all pretenses disappearing, and everything that I once never questioned were beginning to be proven wrong one by one. It made me wonder: how long would this smiling mask last?

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

A/N: Sorry, that one was a little while longer than the rest. You guys know Ellen Hopkins, right? Author of Crank, Glass, Impulse, and so on? Well I just finished her new book, Tricks, and that took up like a week of my life. So I got zero writing done. And now that I'm finished with it, I really want to write more in my old story With Effects Akin to Narcotics. It sounds weird, but I'm in the mood for drugs and sex, man! Lol it seems like whenever I read about something, I wanna write about it. Like, I started writing this story after I read an _incredible_ story by ba77ousai called The Girl of Ba Sing Se. Still waiting for an update!! But yeah, I was watching Avatar, saw the Tales of Ba Sing Se filler episode, and got hooked on Jinko (like Hooked on Phonics, but for Avatar fans! ;D) so I looked up some stories on them (which there really aren't many, and something needs to be done about that) and found The Girl of Ba Sing Se. AMAZING! That's all I can say. She is an inspiration to me, and I can't wait to read her other stories, those Danny Phantom ones that I saw on her page. I used to love Danny Phantom, man! I'm so mad they cancelled it or whatever happened to it. What did happen to it? Anyway, getting off topic.

So! To sum it up, I haven't written in like a week or so, and I'm sorry if you guys were suffering while I was gone =( pardon me for the inconvenience. Love you all! And please review! I love seeing them, it really makes my day if I just get one. And think about it! If I get ten people to review on every single chapter, that's 120 reviews! So please review every single chapter! Even if all it says is "liked it" or "good chapter" or even just "good". At least it's something, right?

Lol I think I'm using you guys as an involuntary boyfriend haha. I haven't talked to my boyfriend since his birthday Saturday, and it's killing me! I miss him so much, and I don't even think he knows how much I miss him when I don't talk to him in a while. It really does some damage to my heart. It'd be so much easier if he had a phone =( anyway, I'll stop incessantly talking and just leave it at this:

Please review! Thanks! Love you guys! P


	13. Chapter 13: Some Advice and Intelligent

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Here's chapter 13! Be prepared for some serious emotional baggage and sob stories, courtesy of Natsuki and Iroh! And I'm not completely sure what's gonna happen after that. Wait, nevermind, got an idea now. Well, don't forget to review!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Some Advice and Intelligent Proverbs**

I was struck by how quiet he was. I figured he was going to offer me some advice, some intelligent proverbs that I probably could've thought of myself given the time, and showed me that life wasn't as bad as I thought it was.

But he just sat there, sipping his tea and staring off into space, a small smile on his face. I wasn't completely sure if that was a smile of hidden knowledge or a simple smile of contentedness that he'd finally gotten his tea.

The tea was halfway gone before either one of us spoke.

I slammed my cup of tea down in a sudden fit of rage and snapped my head up to stare into his eyes. "Don't you have anything to say?" I yelled.

I noticed his eyes flickered to the guard, but I found nothing in them to signify that he'd woken up. He looked at me, his smile returned, and he blinked. "Nothing that you don't already know," he replied, his voice as calm as if I hadn't burst in anger.

"Oh, please, that's the most cliche line I've ever heard," I growled, picking up my tea again and clenching my fingers around it, almost wishing it would break. I took a few gulps until the cup was empty, then slammed it down again. "I know you know how upset I am! Why don't you say something?"

"You don't want me to say anything," he answered bluntly.

"Do you really think I'd tell you to say something if I didn't want you to say anything?" I asked in disbelief. He was being stupid!

"Yes," he replied, taking a calm sip of his tea, "I do."

I opened my mouth to say something, but found no words coming to mind. I held my breath, but when my head went completely blank, I let out a heavy sigh, sagging my shoulders. My anger flew away on that breath, leaving me a hollow shell of sadness, uncertainty, and numbness.

"Uncle?" I asked weakly, my head bowed, my hair covering my eyes, shadowing my face and hiding my tears from my companion. "Am I going to die here?"

The silence after my question was overbearing, and I was beginning to think that his lack of an answer meant "yes" when I felt a clammy hand grasp mine. I looked up as another tear fell down my cheek, and I wiped it away with my free hand.

"I just feel like... like nothing is working out like it should," I confessed. "Ever since I came here, these horrible things have been happening, and there's nothing I can do to stop it! I just have to sit and take it, no matter what it is! Like this stupid mark I got! I just stood there, stood there and cried, while he..."

"Prince Zuko?" Uncle asked, his voice serious and sort of powerful, almost.

I sniffled and nodded, blinking away the threatening tears. "Mmhm. I mean, I know why they do the whole marking thing, but why do they have to resort to something so _barbaric_? And the Prince, he's just... He's so...! Argh!" I finally ended up yelling in frustration. "Is there even a word for him? He's so... frustrating! He's _impossible_! Why is he so _soulless?_"

"He has had a very hard life for a very long time, Sen," Uncle said. "Please try to understand him."

"There's nothing _to_ understand!" I argued. "I mean, maybe I could _try_ if he would quit yelling at me and trying to _kill_ me long enough to make a small, decent conversation!"

Uncle laughed softly. "That's not very likely," he muttered.

I huffed. "I know. I just wish... I just wish things were easier. Back at home, it was all just the same. Well, not the same, but I always knew what to expect. There weren't these _awful_ surprises like there are here. No burning symbols into people's arms, no crazy ceremonies, no war; just a bunch of gardens and plants and stairs, stairs, stairs! And there was always Grandma, and she could just make any bad day better. She was crazy, and overbearingly in love with her cat, but I loved her all the same." I let out a hysterical laugh, more tears gathering in my eyes. "And _now_ look! I'm already talking about her in the past tense! She's practically a memory already! I don't want her to be a memory. I don't want Miyuki to be a memory, or my old life, my _home_! I want it to go back to reality! I just want to be back home..." I hung my head and sniffled, hugging myself around the waist, wishing it was my Grandma and not just her desperate granddaughter.

"I believe it would be of great benefit to you to hear a phrase I heard once while I was in Ba Sing Se, a few weeks ago."

"You were in Ba Sing Se?" I asked absentmindedly. _Close to my home,_ I thought. _We could've met, if he'd sailed there._

"Yes, I was. Now, the phrase went something like this: 'Obladi, oblada, life goes on.'"

I lifted my head slightly, just enough to pin him with a skeptical gaze. "And who exactly did you hear _that_ from?" I asked. "It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"I'm not exactly sure!" he admitted. "But it seemed fitting to your current situation."

I let out a half-laugh, barely convincing to me, so I could only imagine what it sounded like to him.

Uncle's eyes bore straight into mine, suddenly serious, assessing me, and perhaps himself and his answer as well. The silence continued to stretch for a moment or two longer, until he finally spoke.

"Now listen to me, Sen," he said strongly, his voice like a wall, with him and me on one side, and all the perils of life on the other, pounding furtively against it. "No, you will not die here. Living in this place is hard, I know, and in times like these it seems like there's nowhere to go but where you are led. But we are not sheep. We have a choice to follow the path laid out for us, or to create a new one that suits us better. It is a harder journey, but the rewards are far greater, plus the knowledge that you have carved your own path is a reward of its own."

"So..." I said, my brows furrowing as I tried to understand the meaning behind his figurative words. "What are you saying, Uncle?"

He leaned back, a whisper of a grin on his lips, and his hand returned to his crossed legs. "That is for you to figure out, Sen," he answered, ever cryptic. "I only provide answers. It is up to you to make good use of them."

I let out a heavy breath, blinking slowly, then raised my head and offered a smile. "Thank you," I said, then lifted the teapot. "Let's finish this up, huh?"

Uncle held out his teacup for me to refill. "Gladly," he responded happily.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

As I walked the hallways of the palace, the soft rays of moonlight fading to darkness, then transforming into fluttering butterflies of light, I began to realize how tired I really was. The events of the day were finally weighing down on my mind and body, and when I reached my door, I nearly fell on it in a seemingly drugged attempt to open it. After a moment of fumbling with the technology of the doorknob, I managed to push it open and let myself in. The muffled sounds of light snoring from Dana in the other room slowly lulled me to sleep, to the point that when I let myself tumble into the cushions of my bed, my eyes shut and in that moment I was unconscious.

Whether it was minutes or hours later, I had no idea, but when I opened my eyes, Dana was standing over me, shaking my shoulders gently, her eyes still blinking away sleep from her own eyes.

I moaned and blinked, lifting my body up with my elbows to show that I was awake. "Dana, what is it?" I asked, my voice hoarse and my throat dry and raspy.

"Today's your announcement ceremony, remember?" she answered, sounding excited, but her tiredness outweighed it greatly. She sat down on the edge of my bed, careful to avoid my legs. "I hope ya got some sleep; ya look tired. What happened last night, anyway?"

I blew out a breath and rubbed my eyes, sitting up. "Too much to explain, that's for sure."

"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed, slapping her hands against the mattress in exasperation. "Ya _said_ you'd _tell_ me!"

"Yeah, well, that was before everything happened." I swung my legs over the edge of my bed and stood up, getting my legs used to the feeling before walking over to my vanity.

"No it wasn't!" she argued, turning to face me. I could see her frustrated face in the mirror, and let out a silent giggle. She was getting so worked up over something that wasn't really a big deal. Well, it really _was_ a big deal, but it's not like I could tell her, anyways. "Ya blew me off _after_ everything happened! Ya went to bed _after_ you said you'd tell me in the mornin'." She crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "How can I ever trust ya if ya just break your promises, Sen?"

_You couldn't trust me in the first place,_ I thought, frowning. _That's not even my real name._ I forced an exuberant smile and turned around to look at her. "I'll make it up to you, okay, Dana?" I said, faking genuinity.

She raised an eyebrow dubiously. "Really? How?"

I sighed inwardly, preparing myself. _I can't believe I'm really about to say this..._ "I'll let you do my hair and makeup for the ceremony."

I had judged right; Dana was an insanely girly girl. She squealed with joy and jumped up off the bed, onto her feet, and rushed over to me, bending over to see herself in the mirror. "Okay, I've already got some ideas," she said after a few seconds of looking me over.

I swallowed as she searched through the drawers, pulling out various makeup and tools. Some of these things looked almost dangerous! "W-What do you have in mind?" I asked, trying not to stutter.

Dana laughed. "Aw, you're nervous! That's so cute; you've never done makeovers before, have ya? Well, I suppose living in the mountains sorta does that to ya. Anyways, no need to be scared. I'm good at this! Promise. Me and the other girls have been doin' this kinda thing in our spare time since we turned twelve! Well, maybe ten, but whatever." She grabbed my hand and started coming at it with a pointy metal object aimed at the ends of my fingers. "Now let's get that crud out from under your fingernails."

I jerked my hand back. "Are you sure that thing's safe?" I exclaimed, my voice rising an octave. "You could stab somebody with that!"

Dana rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand back. "Yeah, I guess. But I'm not gonna _stab_ ya, am I?" She didn't wait for an answer; instead started poking the undersides of my nails with the thing, what she called a "nail file".

I cringed my way through it; thankfully she was done very soon after she started. She then did the same with the other hand, then threw them both to the side, concentrating on my face before digging out a jar of some sort of powdery substance which, coincidentally, she called "powder". She caked the stuff onto my face until I had to sneeze, making the fine colored dirt fly everywhere. Dana scolded me, quickly wiped everything clean, then proceeded to mark on my eyes with a dark pencil, and coat my lashes with black liquid to make them longer. She flushed my cheeks pink with blush, and over my lips she ran the same color lipstick I had on when I first came here: the bright red with a hint of shimmer in the light, almost like a gloss.

"Alright, ya ready to see the new you?" Dana asked, smiling wide. "It's pretty nice-lookin', if I say so myself."

I scowled. "Just move over and let me see," I said, squirming from side to side, trying to get a good view of myself in the mirror that she insisted on blocking from my view.

"Alright, alright, calm down," she joked, then moved.

I hardly recognized myself. It looked good, most definitely, but it would take some getting used to. I looked like I belonged here, in the Fire Nation, and I wasn't completely sure if I was comfortable with that implication.

"Well?" Dana asked expectantly. "What do ya think?"

Pretend face, do your best. "I love it!" I said, smiling too broadly for it to be humanly possible. "It's perfect, Dana, thank you so much!"

Thankfully, she seemed to buy my B.S. "Great!" She clasped her hands together in happiness. "I already picked out your outfit; it's in your closet. Make sure to wear it; I'll know if ya don't!"

"Wait!" I exclaimed as she started heading for the door. "Where are you going?"

"To get _myself_ ready, silly!" she answered. "I have to look my best, too, ya know?" And with that, she disappeared from my sight, leaving me alone to figure out the do's and don'ts of Fire Nation ceremonies.

I blew out a sigh and marched over to my closet, where I found a casual dress: a tight bodice with loose straps serving as sleeves, and a billowing ornate skirt, with the usual pointy-toed shoes. For casual, these people really went all out.

I put it on, struggling into the bodice, but nevertheless emerged alive and unharmed and able to breathe. I fixed my hair as much as I had to, and realized that Dana had forgotten to do really anything to it. I put it up in one of those weird buns at the top of my head like I'd seen so many people wearing it, with the rest of my hair down. I shrugged; it looked fine to me. After all, how formal was this thing, if it was in front of the _entire_ capital?

Someone knocked on my door, and a guard poked his head through the opening. "Miss Sen, we're ready to start now."

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. _Here we go,_ I thought. _Brace yourself, Natsuki._ I nodded to the guard and made my way to the door, running through every etiquette lesson I'd ever had with Grandma when I was little.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Phew! Sure took a while, huh? Well, school is getting intense, no question, and I also don't have a laptop now so I usually don't feel like confining myself to my room and writing for hours on end, ya know? So, this is done, woot, have a ball! I hope to have the next chapter up sometime before the middle of next month! haha I know, terrible, but it's the most I can promise. Don't forget to review! It makes this all worth while!


	14. Chapter 14: Announcement Ceremony part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. (I think I'll just start saying ATLA. lots easier to type)**

A/N: So! Been a while, hasn't it? It sure has. Well, hm, still dating my amazingly perfect boyfriend =) (our 4-month is the day before Halloween! sweet, right?) and I just got Veronica Mars season 2, and am watching that religiously, because I am also dating Jason Dohring. Yep, it's pretty intimate with us lol. And I'm gonna re-read the Vampire Diaries books, since the show got me hooked, so that'll take up some of my time. Well, it's about time I stopped those cliffies, huh? Finally left you guys off at a pretty good place. Well, prepare for action and "wow, I didn't expect that!"-ness in the following chapter. FOURTEEN BABY! We're here, and it's gonna be badass! ;)

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**The Announcement Ceremony**

**Part One**

Apparently this ceremony was a bigger deal than I thought it to be.

The halls were bustling with activity. They didn't go so far as to hang decorations or anything, but a short, stubby, old man was ordering everyone around, tapping his thin pointing stick on his hand, occasionally using it to point a servant in a certain direction or down a certain hallway. People glanced at me as they walked past, some confused, some irritated, some in a sort of state of awe; I didn't really pay attention. The only thing that I saw was what I didn't: glowing, siwlring, fiery golden eyes filled with a predatory glare. The Prince was nowhere to be found, and I'd have no other way, after things had settled between us the last time I'd seen him.

Suddenly, my nose started to tikle, and I sneezed into my elbow.

The small old man immediately turned my way, locking eyes with me and walking my way, gesturing for me to come near. "Sen, there you are!" he said, apparently very irritated. His face was fixed in a permanant snarl, and I couldn't help to notice that he had called me Sen, leaving out the formal "Miss" that most usually added when addressing me. It seemed this Scowler didn't have enough time for formalities. "What have you done to your face?" he asked, stopping suddenly and turning my face this way and that with his hand.

I pulled my face back. "What do you mean?" I asked, feeling slightly offended. "Dana did my makeup."

Scowler grimaced, studying my face before speaking again. "You could do without it. You're trying to be Fire Nation. You're Earth Kingdom, sweetie; embrace it." Those words not only confirmed that he was homosexual, but would have been a great compliment if he hadn't said it in a such a demeaning way, like I wasn't good enough to be Fire Nation or something.

I opened my mouth to retort, but he grabbed my arm and began leading me down the hall before I could even take a breath. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to let it be for now," Scowler said, seemingly entirely displeased with the idea. We stopped for a moment, just long enough for him to grab a passing woman and give her instructions that I didn't try to understand, then we kept going. Finally, we reached a room where Scowler shoved me. He stuck his head through the doorway, looking anxious to be back ordering people around. "The Princess will instruct you. You will listen well and be respectful."

I nodded absentmindedly, my mind still trying to catch up, left behind in the flurry.

Then his words made sense to me, the very second he shut the door. _The Princess?_ I exclaimed worriedly in my head.

"Is it my turn already?" My head lifted at the voice, my heart turning to ice within less than a second. I had no idea how I'd missed her when I'd first come in. She was sitting at a vanity, but swivled her chair around to face me, even though her eyes still regarded her nail file with disinterest as she filed away at the tips of her nails, making them almost sharp. Her hair was down and slightly tousled, as if she hadn't quite gotten to it yet, and I was struck by her fierce beauty. Her eyes looked like they could shoot knives from their depths at someone - anyone - who crossed her. Her lips were thin with a menacing curve to them, but somehow seemed to add to the whole sensuality of her appearance. Her face was very angular, her cheekbones something to be envied; the entire surface like someone had drawn one side and stamped the exact picture on the other - perfectly symmetrical, something only achieved by superior and selective breeding. She was average height from what I could tell, since she was sitting, and had the build of an athlete. However I was slightly confused by her choice in clothing. While I was dressed in a flowing skirt and bodice, she wore only a woman's robe and light armor, something one might wear while protecting a low-priority base, or patrolling a conquered city. Her shoes were also nothing much to look at, nothing at all like the shimmering gold of mine. As far as clothing went, I looked the more regal, but her whole aura pulsed with presence and strength that it was of no question who the true princess was in that room.

"I have to admit," she continued, still not meeting my eyes, "I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever make your aquaintence. You seem to have become so friendly with those close to Father that I've been starting to feel a little left out."

I didn't know exactly what to say; she had me stunned. I blurted out the first thing I came up with, in the most respectful voice I could manage. "That was not my intention, Princess."

She held up her hand to admire her nails. "Of course it wasn't." She turned her head and moved her hands to rest on her abdomen, finally locking her eyes with mine. I dropped mine instantly, terrified of offending her. "Believe it or not, I don't think so little of you that I would expect you to try and get on my bad side."

"That's gracious of you, your highness, and I offer you my thanks." I hoped I didn't sound too reverent; some got annoyed with someone who was too obviously trying to win them over.

She made a general sound of affirmation, then turned back to her mirror, grabbing a comb from the counter and running it through her hair. "After all, Zhao speaks quite highly of you, and I have no reason to doubt his words. At least... none that I know of." She seemed to give me a pointed glance from the mirror, but I could've easily imagined it.

For some reason, I blushed when I heard this news. Zhao was really coming through for me - how he'd helped me get here, provided me with courage and friendship (if it could be called as much), and put in good words for me with those I was trying to impress - though it seemed every fond memory of him was tainted with that of the most recent. Of his hand against my cheek, his eyes boring into mine as if there was a tangible wire connecting our gazes that couldn't break even if someone had set it ablaze. It left me feeling strange, borderline uncomfortable, and I wasn't completely sure if I'd be pleased to run into him again.

"I am to brief you on the proper conduct for an event like this," Princess Azula said, echoing the words of Scowler before he'd left so hastily. "It's not much to remember, so I expect you to carry yourself flawlessly." She gathered her dark locks into a bun at the top of her head, tied it off with a thick red ribbon, then stabbed through it with a royal insignia, very similar to Prince Zuko's, though hers was much more angular in its make. She stood, pleased with her appearance, and turned to me, walking up an appropriate distance before stopping, her hands clasped behind her back. "You will not speak during the ceremony. The Fire Lord is the only one that will speak, and he will only be addressing his subjects. When he announces you, you will step forward and bow to him lowly, then to the audience, to whom you will only nod. They must understand that though you are under us, you are still far above them. Do not look any of them directly in the eye. Common people are so desperate for ties inside the palace; they will find any reason to set them apart from the rest and hassle you until they get what they want. That is not only destructive to you, but also to all those who reside in the palace. For these next hours, you are an open door, and must be guarded as such. You are only a symbol; you are unrelatable to these people." She took a step toward me and seemed to lean closer, her voice growing more quiet, but that somehow made it seem even more powerful. "I know your Earth Kingdom roots will cause you to think that you could possibly have a connection with some of these people, but you are wrong. You are more different than you know. Don't pity yourself with delusions." She said these last few words with the barest hints of a smile, and stepped back. "If you cannot manage this, then I will assume you are not fit to be our healer, and I will do everything in my power to find someone better suited to the position. Do you understand?"

I bowed low to her, as I would to the Fire Lord when he announced me. "Yes, Princess."

"Good," she said, her tone almost conversational, save for the threatening undertone which seemed to be everpresent in her speech. "My brother will escort you. He should be waiting outside." With that, she turned from me to do I don't know what, and basically erased me from her thoughts.

I did not dare to breathe until I'd closed the door to the room behind me. I leaned against the wall of the hallway and let out a heavy breath, blinking away my fear. Who would've thought a princess could be to frightening?

Though for some reason, somewhere deep in my heart and mind, I wanted her to approve of me.

I'd only taken a few steps before I saw Prince Zuko waiting for me at the end of the hall. He was standing at the ready, the only thing betraying his emotions were his arms, which were crossed in front of his chest, hiding his balled fists. I guessed he was still angry at me for calling him out in the garden last night.

All the better, as I was still angry at him for hurling fire at my face.

I stopped in front of him, unable to force myself not to meet his eyes. The fire of them seemed to want to burn right through me, but my own eyes simply blew the flames away. There was a war going on right between us, possibly more intense than the war on the outside, and no one was around to see it. It was probably better that way, however, as I would probably have been scolded for glaring at royalty so blatantly.

"Prince Zuko," I said lowly, bowing to him so low and slowly that it was obnoxious. When I rose his eyes were even more narrow.

He turned his eyes from me, his mouth firming shut, jaw clenched, and held his arm out for me to take. He turned to the side stiffly, looking at the hallway stretching out before him, obviously avoiding looking at me. I pursed my lips together but nevertheless took his arm, and he immediately began walking; I had to stumble for a step or two before I caught his pace. His stride was much longer than mine, and I had to take quick, small, uncomfortable steps so as not to fall behind or go too far ahead.

Finally, when I found an inaudible beat to walk to, I opened my mouth. "So I'm sure you already guessed this," I started, "but I'm still pissed at you."

"I'd guessed," he returned, his tone even more unfriendly than mine.

A few more steps before another word. "Of course, I guess that's expected when someone throws fire in your face, right?" I asked rhetorically.

"I thought Azula was supposed to tell you not to talk," he growled.

_This isn't going anywhere,_ I thought, my shoulders falling in a mental sigh. How was I going to get anywhere if I just kept holding this grudge? Yes, he did assault me, but he was obviously troubled. His motives were justified, though his actions could've been different, but I understood why he did what he did. _I also meant everything I said to him,_ I added to myself, just to clarify. Still, he definately wasn't going to be the one to step up.

"Can- Can we wait a second?" I asked tentatively.

Prince Zuko glanced at me from the corner of his eye, the scarred skin wrinkling in a way that looked like he was confused, from what I could interpret. He didn't ask why, just stopped walking, and turned toward me. Yes, now I could see it clearly; his brow was furrowed in confusion, and also a bit of annoyance - he probably didn't want to be late.

I shuffled my feet, wishing I could back out. But it had to be done. "I wanted to apologize," I said, not meeting his eyes. "I don't want last night to hover over our heads, and I don't want to get in a bad mood every time I see you." _Though it'll probably happen after this anyway._ "How about we just forget last night and start off fresh?"

He was quiet for so long that I eventually had to look up, and his expression hadn't changed hardly at all, though most of the annoyance was replaced by more confusion. "I accept your apology," he said, his tone unwavering.

_Good,_ I thought,_ one milestone passed._ I looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to mirror my words.

But he just looked back at me. Eventually, he blinked and asked blatantly, "What?"

I looked away then back at him in exasperation. "Well, don't you -..." I stopped myself and let my shoulders fall, heaving a sigh and running my fingers through my bangs. "Nevermind. Whatever."

I started walking, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "What?" he asked, getting angry - like that was anything new. "What do you have to say?"

I didn't say anything, just blinked and continued looking at him with expectant eyes, hoping he'd get the picture.

"What, you think _I'm_ going to apologize?" he asked, finally understanding. He let go of my arm to gesture emphatically at nothing. "I don't have anything to be _sorry_ for!"

"Oh, right, of _course_ you don't!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in defeat. "You're the Prince! You do what you want and never have to answer to the consequences!" I took a step toward him and stared him in the eye, pointing my finger at him, hating how tall he was in comparison to me. "You have no idea what it's like past these walls. You wouldn't even _survive_ without your army backing up every wrong move you make, without your title sheilding you from every punch. What kind of leader will you be when you can't admit your mistakes, let alone see far enough into the future to prevent them?"

With every word of mine he got angrier, until he looked like he was going to explode into a figure of burning flames. He opened his mouth, but was cut off as Scowler walked briskly down the hallway toward us.

"Prince Zuko, Sen, what are you doing?" he asked, flustered and scowling as always. "You're nearly late! Your highness should be with your father and sister behind the curtains already! Hurry, hurry!" He used his old, frail hands to urge us along, and grudgingly we complied. He practically hooked our arms together for us, and we shared a glance at this, both our expressions the same.

Loathing.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

A/N: Well, I've got some stuff to talk about in this chappie.

First off, I wasn't planning on those parts being so long. I planned on having the entire announcement ceremony down in this one chapter, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. So next chapter, 15, will be The Announcement Ceremony: Part Two!

Next, Azula. As you can see from those massive paragraphs up there, I really hold high respects for her. Sure, she may be evil, and I may want to wring her neck at times, but she is such a symbolic character. She represents everything that is the strong woman, and anything she doesn't cover is put into Mai. She represents the middle ground, where Tai Lee is the happy prep and Mai is the unemotional Goth. She is strength, beauty, and sheer power, and I admire that about her. And in case you have any doubts, NATSUKI IS NOT A LESBIAN. She was not checking Azula out in that long description, she was just admiring her, perhaps envying her. Not imaginging her naked. No dirty thoughts, you pervs. I shun you.

Also, Zuko. I'm very very afraid that I haven't been capturing his character well. He is such a dynamic character, with such a background and intense thoughts that I have to factor into his speech, and I just feel like I'm in the zone, but just barely missing the mark. If you guys have any pointers, please leave them in a review. In a nice way, though, taking criticism is not a strong point of mine =)

And I am also in another dilemma. I'm still not completely sure if I'm going by the episodes yet. I definately will keep the storyline in mind, though I don't know if I'll stretch things out or not, because I refuse to believe that Zuko's hair grows as fast as it seemed in Season 2. It's just not possible! There's got to be more stuff that happens in between the episodes. So offer me your opinions. Go by the episodes, or draw things out? Benefits: by the episodes makes this story move faster, but drawing things out creates more room for character and relationship development. Drawbacks: by the episodes makes this story much shorter, and drawing it out will make it much longer. So it's up to you guys!

Also, no worries, there will definately be some romance in the future. I'm just trying to set up the typical "I hate you but I'm gonna end up with you for the rest of my life but I don't know it yet" thing that's done so much. I know, not very original, but if you think about it everything's been done before, except for the stuff no one wants to read.

Anyways, please review! The next chapter gets intense! Stay tuned! =)


	15. Chapter 15: Announcement Ceremony part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: I figured out that the song Perfect by Simple Plan captures Zuko's relationship with Ozai fabulously. Check that shit out.

Also, when you get near the end of this chapter, you will see something bolded that says **Begin Playing Song**. When you get there, play the song Ending Theme from Final Fantasy X. It really adds to the mood, trust me. You can find it on YouTube very easily.

Enjoy!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**The Announcement Ceremony**

**Part Two**

The next few moment passed in silence and seemed to stretch on until the end of eternity, each step marking the point of a million years. I was incredibly conscious of my arm on the Prince's, always secondguessing myself. Was I holding on to him too tightly? Was it not tight enough, as if I would be disgusted to touch him? _But I am,_ I thought stubbornly in my head, and lifted my arm from his, then stopped and sighed mentally. _No, I'm not. I'm just being unreasonable and immature._ I lowered my arm back onto his. It must've been rather rough, because the Prince granted me with a confused glance before hastily turning away again when he met my eyes.

For some reason, this made me blush. I blinked in surprise and looked down at my cheeks - even though I couldn't hope to see them without a mirror - and silently asked them why they'd turned pink. My hand followed suit, feeling warm and clammy on his arm, and I brushed my fingernails along my palm repeatedly, trying to get rid of the feeling. Perhaps he was using firebending to raise his body temperature, and it in turn was affecting me. That must be it.

Finally, we reached the designated waiting room and passed through the curtains separating it from the rest of the palace. Immediately, Prince Zuko was drawn away from me by someone with a cynical look about them, and I was left alone. Fire Lord Ozai was there, looking regal as ever in a long floor-length robe and cape, with the traditional Fire Nation insignia in his hair. I avoided looking at him and felt a shiver run down my spine just being in the same room with him. It felt dangerous.

Princess Azula was talking to a girl about my age with a long braid and huge eyes - she was balancing on her head with her hands bracing her on either side and making nearly impossible shapes and motions with her legs. Another girl, possibly a year older than me, was looking on with a bored expression on her face, her arms crossed in front of her. She reminded me of a female version of the Prince, but with less anger and more uninterest. I noticed that he eyes kept flicking off to the side, and when I followed them I saw that she was glancing at Prince Zuko. Her face seemed to warm, but I couldn't tell; she was too far away for me to be sure.

I saw no one I knew on a personal basis, though I wasn't surprised. _Of course no one's here, stupid,_ I sneered at myself. _The only person you know is Dana, and she wouldn' t be here._

"Looking for someone?"

I jumped at the low voice next to me and whipped around to find a man standing next to me. He was about three or four years older than me, and a few inches above Zuko. He had an odd hairstyle: his bangs grew out on one side to cover his right eye while the rest framed the left side of his face, leaving only his left eye, nose, and mouth visible. It grew to an impossibly long length in the back, falling nearly to his knees, looking very haphazard and layered, thinning until it ended. His eyes had the consitency of honey, and made me feel as if I in water, moving slowly and in an everlasting dance. His robe was untied, leaving his muscular chest bare, and his sleeves were torn off, showing off his powerful arms. His baggy pants were loose, and he wore simple black shoes instead of something extravagant. His mark showed proudly on the left side of his chest, over his heart, mirroring the exact shape of the Fire Lord's hair accessory.

I blinked repeatedly at him before I was able to speak. I averted my eyes nervously and couldn't help but stutter. "Y-Yes, but she's not here," I answered meekly.

"She?" he asked, crossing his arms lazily. "Don't tell me you swing _that_ way?"

I tensed up and snapped my eyes up to look at him. "_What?_" I exclaimed, too shocked and embarrassed to say anything else.

He laughed at this. "That's good to know," he said, apparently taking my surprise as a 'no'. "So I'm guessing you're the reason for this whole charade?"

I swallowed, trying to make my face cool down. "Yes, I'm the healer."

He nodded. "Good," he said. "It's about time we got a new one."

I furrowed my brow and looked at him again. "Why is everyone saying that?" I asked. "What was so bad about the old healer?"

He shrugged. "Nothing, really. She was just sort of... loony, I guess is the word. She was getting old and decided it wasn't in her best interest to take crap. You can sort of guess that that kind of mentality made her a bitch to most," he added quietly, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear.

I made a sound to show that I'd heard, but said nothing else. He leaned away from me, returning to his bored position. It was only a few more moments before I heard his voice again.

"So what's your name?" he asked. "I'll probably hear it anyway, but I'm not really a patient guy." He coupled his sentence with a wink, not really helping my blush situation.

I smiled a little politely. "N-... Sen," I caught myself, saying the name matter-of-factly. How could I have almost slipped up like that? I'd been getting so used to my new name; why was it that in the face of this new man I couldn't hold up my facade?

He smirked. "Well, nice to meet you Nuh-Sen," he mocked. "Name's Kai." He held out his left hand for me to shake, and I did as expected. He crossed his arms again, obviously waiting for me to say something.

It didn't seem that we were starting for another little while, so I decided to humor him. "That's an interesting name," I commented, feigning interest. _The only thing I'm interested in are those pecs... Whoa, what?_ I blushed furiously, wondering where that thought had possibly from.

"It's got a pretty interesting backstory, too."

"Care to share?"

Kai chuckled at my rhymes and shrugged in compliance. "My parents were full of pride for their nation, so they wanted my name to reflect that. My full name is Agni Kai," he explained. "You know what that is, right?" When I shook my head, he leaned down to make sure I could hear. "It's like this really intense fight when someone crosses someone else, and whoever loses is banished from the Fire Nation."

I blinked. "Wow, that _does_ sound intense," I muttered, feeling eyes on me. At a glance, I saw that Zuko was tuning out the person speaking to him and regarding Kai and me with an odd look, almost wary-looking. I brushed it off and turned back to Kai.

"...sure is. Anyway, you can guess that I got a lot of crap for that when I was little. People thought I was full of myself for having a name like that, so after I left to go to war, I just shortened it to Kai."

I nodded. "I wish my name had a story like that," I said. _Liar,_ I whispered. _It already does. Well, at least your _fake_ name does._

Kai put a hand on my shoulder and offered me a light smile. "Why not just make a story for it?" he said. "You know, do something for yourself, something that when you look back, you'll say, 'Now that was an adventure.'"

I looked into his eyes as his words sunk in. Make my own story? Shouldn't things just happen? It seemed like things had just been happening to me lately. But had they really? Was it just fate that I'd ended up here, or was I unconsciously writing my own story as I went along?

If so, what happens when I wake up, and write things the way I want them to happen? Where does my story go then? How does it end?

I guess that's just part of the adventure.

I smiled at him and nodded. "I like that," I said. "I think I'll try it out."

He grinned and gave me shoulder a pat before shoving his hands into his pockets and glancing at the great curtain separating us from the crowd outside. "Looks like it's almost starting. We should get in our places." He gave me a bow and a cocky smirk. "See ya around, Sen."

I waved at him and turned away to go to Zuko, figuring I was supposed to be near him since he was my escort. When I reached him, he had an aggravated expression, though that seemed to be typical for him.

So I was surprised when I heard him snarl, "What were you talking to _him_ about?"

I blinked, but answered. "Nothing really important. Just stuff about stories and names."

"He mentioned Agni Kai," he continued, ignoring me. "What did he say?"

I furrowed my brow. "He just explained to me what it was," I replied. "What's the big deal?"

The curtains began to open, and Zuko murmured a quiet, "Forget it," before the light of day blinded me and the crowd's applause drowned out anything else.

Fire Lord Ozai stepped up to the edge of the stage, his arms slightly opened in a welcoming gesture. I couldn't see, but I was almost certain he had a smile on. Was this the same Fire Lord I'd heard awful stories about? Or was he just putting on a good face for his people? Either way, I kept my face expressionless, in case someone saw. I didn't need any reason for Azula to hate me. Out of fear, I glanced her way and found her standing at attention on the other side of the stagem hands clasped behind her back - her normal stance, as it seemed - and her cold eyes looking out into the distance, not meeting anyone's eyes, just as she had warned me not to do. I looked away and did the same, ignoring the urge to see who was cheering so loudly for me - no, for the Fire Nation royalty.

"Welcome, my loyal subjects!" the Fire Lord greeted like a true king, his regality seeping into every syllabel. "It is a day of celebration indeed! The Fire Nation Capital has been graced with a new presence. In these dark times of war, we must stay healthy and vigilant, and this new presence will help us stay as such. Without any further ado, I introduce to you, Sen, the royal healer!"

The crowd went wild - _for me_ - and I wasted no time walking up to the edge of the stage, to the right of the Fire Lord. I gave him a low bow, as Azula had said, until my back muscles felt like they'd snap, and only then did I raise myself. I turned to the audience and gave them a nod, my shoulders moving down only slightly.

And when I raised my head, my eyes met with dusty gold.

_Sosuke._

I closed my eyes tightly, then reopened them. Yes, he was still there; not a haunting apparition. Then, Azula's words came to me, and I tore my eyes away from him, looking out across the tide of people, into the distance. But no matter how high above them I looked, all I saw was his face; his surprised, almost pained expression, his comforting, dusted eyes, his slightly parted lips, those lips that my own had known so intimately, not so long ago...

I clenched my teeth and turned my eyes to the skies above, blinking away the threatening tears. _Why?_ I pleaded with him silently. _Why now? Why here? Why, when my whole life is hanging by a thread? When every single one of my actions is being graded? When I'm so weak, so helpless, so desperate to be back in your warm, strong arms again?_

The rest of the Fire Lord Ozai's words were lost to me; I was only vaguely aware of the occassional cheer or the loud, booming voice of the Fire Lord. A single tear had slipped down my cheek when I awoke to the sound of applause. The Fire Lord held his hand out to the side, looking at me expectantly, apparently directing me in which way to go.

I did my best not to stumble as I quickly regained my composure and walked as regally as possible back to Prince Zuko's side. I couldn't help but take a quick glance at Azula; she was staring right back, her expression deathly. I swallowed; she had seen me slip up. Who knew what she'd do now?

Prince Zuko didn't offer me his arm, instead just stood there, arms at his sides. He wore a strange expression on his face; his nose crinkled, his forehead creased, his mouth turned down in a scowl. Did something smell bad that I wasn't aware of? It was a certain possibility; my nose was still clogged up from fighting back tears.

The Fire Lord turned back to his audience. "Now, time for the _real_ celebration," he boasted, and the applause returned, louder still. He swung his arm in the direction of the curtains. "Bring her forth!"

**Begin Playing Song**

On cue, the curtains parted to reveal two soldiers, clad completely in battle armor, with helmets and masks covering their faces. Between them was a struggling old woman, her long gray hair pulled back in a messy, strangled braid, her golden eyes wide and red with tears and fear. Her voice was raspy as she called for help, though I could hardly hear over the cheers that accompanied her entry. She wore only a light red nightdress, tied at the neck, with long sleeves and a length to her ankles. She was short, overweight, very stubby looking; her entire physical build suggested contempt. Though the tears streaking down her face brought out her humanity, as if with every new droplet she was shedding pieces of her soul onto the hard waxed stage.

And her mark stood out black on her wrinkled hand.

I gaped at this horrid display, my mind furiously trying to process the situation as the two soldiers bound her arms together and shackeled her ankles. She fell to her knees in a futive attempt to run, and strands of hair fell onto her face.

The Fire Lord regarded this with the traces of a theatrical smile. "My daugher, Fire Princess Azula, will do the honors," he announced.

Azula stepped forward, taking her father's place, and stood before the old woman. The latter's lips moved quickly, and as much as I strained my ears to listen, I could hear nothing over the cheers.

"... please, your highness... do not wish to die... spare... done nothing wrong..."

I gasped, putting the pieces together.

_Once you're in the Fire Nation, you never leave._

Azula's hands glowed blue and the air crackled around them, the molecules snapping together like flint, sparking until a flame ignitied. I couldn't see her eyes, and I was sure I didn't want to. I looked around desperately, trying to find someone - _anyone_ - who could stop this awful event from taking place. The Fire Lord simply watched now that the spotlight had left him; Kai looked on with interest, a smile flitting to and from his lips, as if he couldn't decide whether to indulge himself by watching or protect himself by looking away; Prince Zuko still held his disgusted face - _now_ I knew what that had been - but didn't look away, as if he was obligated to this poor woman to show courage while she was killed.

They had planned it. Everyone had known. The Prince had known, Azula had known, Kai had known, Zhao had known, even _Dana_ had known. My one true friend in the whole castle hadn't even bothered to mention an _execution_ to me!

Azula held up her hands, stepping back in a tense stance, readying herself for what was to come. The cheers seemed to grow louder as the anticipation built, and a thin line of blue lightning stretched between the Princess's pointed fingernails.

Everything seemed to happen simultaneously.

Azula, with a fluid motion, shot the lightning at the old healer.

The crowd screeched with pleasure and suspense.

The woman's eyes opened even wider than before, the faded gold of them turning to an electric blue.

My voice, drowned out by the applause, screamed a strangled, "_NO!_"

And then everything was over. The woman fell to the ground, face first, and the two guards walked forward and bent down to pick up the body. Azula fell back into her stance and walked to her spot between the two girls from backstage. The crowd's cheering went on and on, and I couldn't stand it. Couldn't watch them smile, couldn't watch the royals glare, couldn't watch as they dragged her away, as if she was a bag of unwanted trash...

My arms were pumping before I was conscious of my movements. I ran off the stage, pushing past the curtains, and leaving the sounds and memories of pleas behind. The red, the gold, the blue... Such colors that had meant nothing in the past now were impossible to look at.

My tears cascaded down my face, sticking to me, running down my neck into my dress. My vision blurred, but I didn't stop. Didn't stop running until I reached my room.

I threw open the door and slammed it behind me, stomping to my bed and falling onto it, sobbing into the pillows. I hated this room, hated this bed, hated how there were just about fifty unnecessary pillows. I threw them off the bed with a yell, a shout, a cry, and sobbed, until I could no longer move. I cuddled into myself, holding my knees to my chest, and wished myself away. Wished I was back home, back with Grandma and Miyuki...

Wished my parents were still alive. Wished they were here to hug me, to help me through this. Wished for their arms around me, their words in the air, telling me that all would be right, it would all be okay in the end.

And through all my wishing and all my sad hopes, I fell asleep with the knowledge that I would never know those feelings, never know their voices. This Nation had taken their lives, just as they had that old woman's, and nothing I could ever do or wish would bring them back to me.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Wow. Six pages of sadness and intensity. Crazy, huh? I hope you guys enjoyed. And I hope you didn't see that coming! It was meant to be an awful surprise. But if you did see it, you're really good at predicting things! Psychic much?

The end of this chapter was inspired by the Ending Theme of Final Fantasy X.

Zuko's Themes are Where Will You Go by Evanescence and Stupid Girl by Cold.

Natsuki's Theme is Stand My Ground by Within Temptation.

Please review! And listent to the songs, they really add to the experience. Tell me what you think! My goal is 100 reviews by February of next year! Please help me reach this!


	16. Chapter 16: Falling Down

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: Here's where we really start to get into the storyline. Or at least, where it starts... It's hard to explain. Whatevs, just read lol. And review! It brings loves and chapters!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Falling Down...**

It had been three days since the announcement ceremony. I hadn't left my room in three days. Dana brought me food and water, checked up on me every few hours, as if I was the patient and she the healer. I refused to speak to her; she'd witheld important information from me, information about an execution, and for that I couldn't bring myself to forgive her.

The death of that old woman weighed heavily on my conscience. Every time I shut my eyes to sleep I saw her tear-filled eyes watching the lightning shoot toward her; every dream I had was of bright, glowing blue eyes suddenly blinking out into darkness. I cried daily, sobbed nightly, until I had no more tears left to give to my now-solitary pillow. I'd put the rest of those red frilly things on the patients' beds, since there was nothing else for me to do.

I busied myself with arranging and rearranging my supplies. As I set the bags of seed on the shelves, I frowned. I still had yet to ask the Fire Lord for permission to plant the seeds, but being in front of him was the last thing I wanted to do then. I winced as I remembered his smirk as Azula murdered the old healer, his golden eyes piercing through the blue-tinged smoke with nothing but delight.

I blinked, shaking my head, trying desperately to rid myself of those horrible thoughts. My eyes tingled as if tearing up, but I had no tears left to cry.

I heard light footsteps but paid them no mind. I already knew who it was before she spoke.

"When are ya plannin' on leavin' this room, Sen?" Dana asked, leaning against the door.

"There's no reason to," I explained. I was the healer; the healer had no reason to be except for taking care of the sick people and taking other people's jobs when they didn't want to do them. So far, neither things have happened.

"There's _plenty_ of reasons to!" Dana objected, walking in and sitting on the bed next to me, trying to meet my eyes.

"Name three," I challenged, switching the spring water and ocean water to make room for a bushel of feverfew.

"Easy!" she said, and held up three fingers to count off. "Prince Zuko, Kai.... and..." She furrowed her brow in frustration and jutted out her jaw.

I admit I couldn't help letting out a small laugh at this. "Dana, you're so boy crazy," I told her. "Those aren't even reasons, anyways."

She said nothing, just looked at me with a shocked and horrified expression, as if I'd just cussed her out.

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the bed next to her to face her. "I only met Kai three days ago, and he seemed sort of... I don't know, unapproachable?"

"But he's so nice!" she exclaimed in his defense.

"I know, but... it almost seems like he's trying."

Dana just looked at me, confused. "Well, maybe he's _tryin'_ because he thinks you're cute," she offered.

I laughed at that. "I don't think that's it," I said, dismissing her compliment. "And anyway," I said, returning back to the previous conversation, "you already know how I feel about _Prince Zuko_." I said his name with disgust and a complementary eye-roll.

Dana crossed her arms. "What's your problem with him, _really_?" she asked. "There's gotta be somethin' behind all your hatred for him."

_He knows I'm an airbender. He burned me. He tried to kill me. He's the son of the man who is killing the people of my Kingdom. What other reasons are there?_ "I don't wanna talk about it," I said, closing the conversation, the memory of lightning and screams filling my head. I looked away from her and stood up, walking to the other side of the room, pretending to busy myself with fluffing pillows.

The still air of the silence made it hard to move; I forced my every move through the thick sheet of atmosphere, until Dana's voice got the molecules moving again.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" she asked, her voice quiet, but it spoke volumes to me.

I couldn't lie to her. "Yes," I answered, leaving nothing to interpretation.

The air had only begun to settle before she spoke again. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said. "I didn't want to worry you -"

I whipped around. "Don't try to defend yourself," I warned. "You told me it was some dumb ceremony; it wasn't a big deal; they do things like this all the time. Do they kill people all the time, Dana? Do _you_?"

She clenched her jaw and looked down at the ground, shutting her eyes tightly. A strange side of me almost wanted her to cry, but I pushed it away. I only wanted her to understand, to know that she'd done wrong.

"Yeah," she finally said. "Not _me_, but they do. That's why the crowd was cheering. This is how they get their kicks. Executions, gladiators, duels... If the Fire Lord likes it, then they do, too."

I gaped at her words, searching around the room with my eyes for something, anything, to prove her wrong. People couldn't possibly _want_ to watch people die! We are _humans_, but this Nation acts no better than a pack of komodo rhinos!

How was I going to survive here? Surrounded by these barbaric people with the instincts of an Unagi! _I can't,_ I realized. _I'll never get out of here with my sanity._

I let out a painful cry and slammed my fist against the wall, hitting my forehead against it. I pounded against the wall futively, like a prisoner trying to escape from her cell, shoulders shaking with dry sobs. I felt Dana's arm around me, her frantic voice in my ear, but I didn't care to discern what she was saying. _I have to leave! I have to get out of here! I need my mom, my dad! Why did they have to go?!_

Finally, I didn't have the strength left to go on, and I sunk to my knees, Dana sinking with me. "Dana?" I asked, stuttering and forcing out my words. I had to suck in air to keep from hyperventilating, feeling as if the more I breathed the air of this horrid place the more I'd be bound to it. "Is that going to happen to me? I'm never going to be able to leave this place... When I get old... and useless... will they find a replacement and just... kill me? Like they did that woman?"

Dana's arms tightened around me and she pulled my face into the crook of her neck, stroking my hair comfortingly. In this moment, she seemed like the older sister, instead of the other way around as it usually was. "I'll never let that happen to you, Sen," she promised. "Never. I'll die before I let anything happen to you."

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Dana was called away not too long after that for I'm not sure what, and was forced to leave me on my own, but not before promising that she'd be back as soon as she could manage. I was grateful for this, despite how strange it felt. During the short time I'd known Dana, I had always had my walls up, and never let her too close, in case I'd have to lose her just as I'd had to lose Shin Tao and Haku (_I refuse to think of Sosuke._). I'd always thought of her as the child who needed looking after, like a younger sister in a way. But in those moments not too long ago, she had been almost motherly to me, like an older sister in the way that she promised to protect me and put me before herself. I hadn't realized just how much I meant to her until then, and I don't think I realized how much she meant to me, either.

I loved her. I really did. She was like the sister I never had, the glue to hold up my brick walls, the hurricane around me as I stood safe inside the eye of the storm. And I was that to her. We held each other up, protected each other.

I vowed then that I would mirror her promise. I would never let anything happen to her. I would die before anything happened to her.

I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to recover from my episode, and almost retched at how greasy it was. I let out a small "ugh" and wiped my hand off on the sheets of the bed next to mine. Then I frowned. _Crap, now I'll have to wash that, too._ I sighed and heaved myself up, my legs feeling like rubber, and somehow managed to stand. I stayed still for a moment, getting used to the feeling of standing, before walking tentatively. I stumbled a bit at first but soon found my footing and walked out of the room, keeping my hand on the wall just in case.

After a minute or two of stumbling around my room to gather together a few necessary things - a towel, a change of clothes, a scented oil for cleansing, and some soap for my hair - I made my way to my bathroom and set down my things, turning on the hot water for a bath. I shed my clothes and hung them in the closet of my room, double-checking my door to make sure it was shut securely. Wouldn't want some guard to come in looking for me and find me... well, indecent.

I returned to the bathroom and sunk in to the hot bath, the water sending shivers up my spine from the contrast of warm and cold. I sat for a moment, getting used to the temperature, then added the oils to the water. The air was quickly filled with the scents of orange blossom, myrrh, rose, juniper, sassafras, and dragon's blood. There seemed to be something else... something tangy; some sort of spice, perhaps? I must've added cinnamon to the blend and just forgotten.

I leaned my head back against the rim of the tub, letting my hair flow in the ripples of the water, creating the most beautiful dance, like the reflection of a mountain in the ocean's waves. I loved the way how the water made my hair nearly three shades darker than it really was. My Grandma had always told me that my mother had had dark brown hair, almost black, and at night you could only see her because of her luminescent pale skin.

_I wish I'd known you, mom,_ I thought sadly, wishfully. _I wish I could have seen you and dad. I bet you were so happy..._

Laughter assailed my ears. "Happy?" a feminine voice asked incredulously.

I looked around wildly, but it seemed like someone had turned out all the lights. Everywhere I looked it was black, even when I held up my own hand I couldn't see it right in front of me. "Who's there?" I asked, feigning bravery.

More laughter, seemingly from every direction. "Oh, come now, Natsuki," she said, and I gasped at the use of my real name, "don't you know the voice of your own mother?"

I looked around wildly, trying to find her. "Mom?" I asked breathlessly. _It's not possible..._

"Oh, it's very possible,"she said, but still didn't reveal herself. "But my dear daughter, we were not happy. Your father and I were miserable! Taking care of your soul-sucking grandmother, her stupid cat, and _you!_ You have no idea what a _burden _you were on us!"

My eyes filled with tears. "Please, don't say that!"

"Oh, you're crying? That's all you would ever do! Cry, cry, cry! No matter what we did, we were always met with tears. You were an awful, ungrateful child! If I'd only married that Admiral, I'm sure you would've been more disciplined!"

"Stop it!" I yelled, wiping away my tears. "Please, just stop! You loved dad, I know you did!"

"No, your father loved _me_. Loved me so much that he stole me from the Fire Nation Admiral and spark his wrath. Your father was the reason I'm dead!"

"_Stop it! Stop it! Stoooop!!!_"

I jerked up, gasping for air, my eyes wide and dry. The water rippled around me from my sudden movements, my hair sticking to my shoulders as it was suddenly wrenched from its happy dance.

I sighed, trying to gain my breath again and slow down my heart. _Just a dream, just a dream..._ I told myself. _Just an awful nightmare..._

I leaned back, plunging myself under the water, letting the soothing sensation wash over me. I scrubbed my hair clean and washed it out in the water, then finally coming back up for a big gulp of air. I wiped my eyes and opened them, then screamed.

The bath tub was filled with blood.

I scrambled out of the tub, screaming my heart out, grabbing my robe from its place hanging on the door and ran, tugging it on as I went. I ran out of my room, my screams transmorphing into gasps of fright, and I didn't stop running.

Not until, that is, I ran into Prince Zuko.

I completely bowled him over, and he had to stick his foot out behind him to keep from falling into a frantic heap on the ground. Instictively he grabbed my arms and held them to me sides, even as I thrashed and yelled. Eventually I became aware of him saying something to me - no, _yelling_ it at me - and I realized that he was saying my name.

I stopped screaming long enough to gasp in a few breaths, and he loosened up slightly as I stopped fighting him. "Agni, what's wrong with you?" he asked, his voice a mixture of concern and condescention.

I kept my eyes closed, in case I saw something even worse than before, and leaned into him, ignoring the way his arms were trying to pull me away. I tugged at the front of his robe, desperate for something to hold on to, and sobbed incoherent words. "Please, help- I don't want to see- get her away from- make her go away- make it go away..."

I wasn't sure exactly how long I pleaded with him, but finally he stopped trying to push me away and hugged me awkwardly, his muscles tense, as if he wasn't sure what to do. He didn't say anything to me, didn't try to console me, only let me hold onto him, but that was all I needed.

After a while, I was breathing relatively normally, and my grip on him had loosened. Only then did the Prince pull me away and look at me. For once, he didn't have his predatory look on his face, only confusion and slight concern. "Can you tell me what happened, healer?" he asked.

For some reason, out of everything I should have been thinking at that moment, only one thing struck me. _He doesn't even know my name._ "My name's Sen," I corrected him, my voice hoarse from sobs.

He seemed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Alright, Sen," he adjusted. "Do you want to tell me what frightened you?"

I sniffled and blinked. "Not out here," I answered quietly, my eyes flickering from one side of the hall to the other, anticipating something to jump out at me from nowhere.

Prince Zuko frowned, but took my arm nonetheless, and lead me down the hallway.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Yay! Nice Zuko makes his first appearance! It's about time, huh? Here's where their relationship really starts.

And man, what perfect timing that Prince has! Just when she needs him (or really doesn't want him there, in past cases) he's always there! Like a ninja... o.O (Go Blue Spirit!)

Well, I'm excited for the rest of this story. The upcoming chapters are especially going to be awesome, and I can't wait! There's gonna be some drama and such. I can't wait for Ember Island and The Day of Black Sun! Got some big stuff planned for those two =) But you'll just have to wait to find out.

If you love Zuko, you will review this story =)

Click it. Do it. Punch it. Write it. Love it. Rev it. Slam, upgrade it. (haha love that song-thing)


	17. Chapter 17: Conversation and

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: Zuuuukoooo tiiiiime!!!! I'm a little worried about this chapter, because I'm afraid I haven't been doing Zuko justice. And also because nothing really intense it gonna happen, and I've sorta been getting used to the intensity of the past few chapters. Nope, just some sob stories and relationship building in here (boredom.). I'll put in some fluff, though, for all you hopeless romantics out there (me included) so no worries! I'll do my best! I'll try my best to get Zuko perfect!

R&R my good friends and fellow writers!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Conversation and Experimentation**

I paid no attention to where Prince Zuko was taking me; the only thing I seemed to notice was his firm grip on my arm, his warmth, and I wondered how I hadn't noticed it before. His skin was like a fire in winter - you'd sit in front of it for hours, not thinking about the third degree burns your back could be recieving, only conscious of the fabulous warmth in contrast to the dreary, freezing cold.

The Prince and I ended up in a wing that I hadn't seen before, in front of a very ornate-looking door. It reminded me of the first door I'd seen in this palace, the door to the Conference Room - I think that's what it was called. It was large, with two doors next to each other, with handles shaped like golden dragons and a large Fire Nation insignia on the surface. It was a larger mirror image of my mark, and the Prince's hair accessory.

I blinked and admired the handywork as the Prince opened the door for me. He stood next to it, looking at me with an expectant expression. I looked back at him for a moment, then blushed as I understood and walked inside.

His room was even more stunning inside than out, though that statement shouldn't be very surprising. It was as large as four of my rooms put together, with a door leading off to his private "hygenic chamber". The carpet was a giant black and red Fire Nation insignia, with another tapestry above his bed. The bed was without a doubt the centerpiece and focus of the room. It was a king size mattress with a handcarved frame and backboard; the feet were shaped like dragon's claws gripping the floor, and the bedframe curved in the shape of two dragons entwining. Around the four poles at each corner wound a scaley dragon, and a red curtain with black trimmings hung from the rectangular structure above, draping over the mattress and creating the illusion of privacy. The sheets themselves were unkempt, strewn everywhere, half on-half off the bed, and three pillows were thrown on the floor, leaving only one large red feathery thing at the head of the bed. I smiled at this - _So he only likes one pillow, too_ - and walked inside, subconsciously running my fingers along whatever was next to me: a painting, a chair, a shelf. My eyes were wide as I took in the scenery, the pure aura of quiet intelligence this room held. I stumbled, suddenly feeling lightheaded, and grabbed onto the pole of his bed to support me.

Prince Zuko shut the door and walked in after me, a strange expression on his face as he watched me. It wasn't quite confusion, but something close to it... He spoke before I could identify it. "_Now_ can you tell me what had you so scared?" he asked, the essence of irritation never truly leaving his voice, but at least it was toned down in this instince.

I nodded, then moved to sit on his bed. It was a little awkward, because the mattress was so high up, higher up than my waist, and I ended up looking determined to get on his bed, which was definately not the image I wanted to convey. I blushed when I'd finally managed to pull myself up and sit comfortably, and avoided his eyes out of necessity instead of only respect.

"I was, um..." I couldn't very well tell him I was taking a bath! I'd have to omit that somehow... "I was..."

He raised a brow, waiting for me to finish. "You were...?" he prodded, his irritation starting to come back into his speech.

"I was, uh... I was- relaxing..." That worked, right? "... and... burning some inscence... and I guess I fell asleep. I had this... this terrible dream. My mother was in it, and she was telling me that...." I couldn't go on. I didn't want to remember what she said to me, about me, about my dad...

Prince Zuko said nothing, only waited for me to continue.

I took a deep breath and went on. "Anyway, it was a nightmare. And then I woke up and..." More omitting... "... I guess I must've hallucinated. I saw blood... everywhere." I shivered, and wrapped my arms around myself. "And then I ran. And then I found you. And now... here we are."

"Hm." The Prince looked skeptical. "So what's the real story?"

I blinked and swallowed. "W-What?"

"You didn't tell me the whole story," he repeated. "Try it again."

I blushed and looked at the ground, flicking my feet back and forth nervously. "Well, I, um... I was taking a bath." My blush deepened, and I didn't dare look at the Prince. "I put my favorite scented oil in, but something smelled a little off. I just figured I'd put in cinnamon or something earlier and forgot. And then I dreamed, and then the tub was filled with blood, and then the rest is basically the same."

I chanced a look at him, and he was no longer looking at me. His eyes were narrowed at the floor, and he looked deep in thought.

I cocked my head, trying to read his expression. "Prince Zuko?" I asked tentatively.

His eyes snapped back to mine instantly, and my blush returned at full force. "W-What do you think happened?" I stammered.

He blinked slowly, then looked away from me again. "Someone put something in your bath. A hallucinagin. And I think I know who it was."

I exhaled sharply. "Well, who?"

"It doesn't matter. I'll take care of it."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Of _course_ it matters! This _person_-" I spat out the word like it was poison "-needs to be taught a lesson!" A lesson only airbending can teach: people can fly, but coming down is a bitch.

The Prince looked back at me. "Even if you knew, you couldn't do anything about it. Airbender or not." He scoffed. "You'd probably end up getting yourself killed, actually."

"Oh, please," I growled, getting up off the bed, "whoever it is can't possibly be _that_ bad. Just some petty servant with some stupid -"

My words were cut off in a gasp as my knees gave. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion; I leaned back to clutch the edge of Prince Zuko's mattress, trying vainly to hold myself up. Demons comprised of shadows grabbed at my feet from the floor, which seemed to be eaten away by darkness at the edges. Everything became tinted with red, until the whole room was melting, smearing into a pool of red paint. A single, bloody figure rose from the ground, with eyes shining like the sun- no, gray eyes. Gray eyes, and a blue tattoo on its head. Its face became visible as the blood seeped off its figure, dripping into the pool underneath it. Its eyes and tattoo began to glow a bright blue-

Honey eyes reflecting an electric blue-

Puffy, white clouds traveling slowly across a deep blue sky-

Smoke billowing up into that same blue sky-

My mother's voice, screaming for my father, for me-

My own desperate, confused cries-

Grandma, held back by Fire Nation soldiers-

The old healer, bound by iron shakles-

My voice, drowned out by the crowd, screaming "_NO!_"

"_NO!_" I screamed, holding my head, digging my fingers into my hair. "_NO! NO! NO! NO!NO!_"

"Sen! Sen, calm down!"

"_NO! NO! NO!_" I ran forward, blindly, away from the light, the evil blue light, the color of death-

Arms grabbed me, held me, restrained me, tryed to capture me, get me. I fought, kicked, flailed, but the grip just grew tighter. I screamed, screeched, but none of it did any good; they still held on. The arms turned me around, my wet hair whipping me in the face, and I struggled to get free.

"Sen, stop it! Calm down! Listen to me, Sen!"

I gasped and opened my eyes wide, staring straight into the Prince's molten gold. I stopped moving, my body feeling like stone, heavy and immobile. I was alert, my heart racing, but my mind was still turning, slowly, drugged, and I blinked, breathing hard.

The Prince had me by the face, his hands on either side, forcing me to look at him. His eyes reflected mine, wide and frightened, though his significantly less than mine. His breathing was ragged, like mine, and he blinked slowly, loosening his muscles. His hands moved from my face to my shoulders, not really holding me so much as resting on me now.

I'm not sure what came over me then. Maybe it was the drugs, maybe it was the desperation for someone to be near to, I can't be certain. But for whatever the reason, I couldn't stop staring into his eyes. I remember thinking something about how warm his eyes were, how I wanted to see them, and my hand was reaching for him, grabbing onto the front of his robe, pulling him closer...

And then our lips were touching, locked together, and we were kissing. Something was different about this kiss, different than the one I'd shared with Sosuke. This kiss held no uncertainty, no doubt, no sense of "I shouldn't be doing this". It was sure, confident, and almost passionate. Zuko's hands pulled me closer, and I had to stand on my toes to keep kissing him, but by the spirits of the earth, I wanted to keep kissing him, _so badly_ I wanted to keep kissing him...

And then his hands felt different. They pushed me away and he held me at arms length, his breath even more ragad than before if that was possible. His eyes looked different, I couldn't pinpoint the emotion in them, but I was sure I had the same look in mine.

We stood there for a moment or two, just staring at each other, trying to evaluate what had just happened.

Zuko swallowed. "You're not well," he said, his voice quiet. "You weren't thinking straight. Your mind is still fuzzy from the drugs." Was he trying to make excuses? "You should get some rest."

I nodded, hardly aware my head was even moving. My eyes kept flickering from his to his lips. Oh, I didn't want to leave yet; I wanted to kiss him again... "Okay," I whispered, unable to manage anything louder.

He nodded back to me, but still didn't let go. "D-Do you need me to take you back to your room?" he offered, stuttering slightly.

I was about to say that I was fine before another wave of lightheadedness swept over me. I stepped forward, and I didn't miss the way his hands tightened on my shoulders, as if ready to catch me should I fall. "I think it'd be helpful," I admitted, standing up straight once more.

He nodded dutifully, then let go of me and held out his arm, though not as confidently as before, as if he was unsure if that was the right thing to do after what had just happened.

I took it, and he led me back to my room in silence. When we reached my door I turned to him, not completely sure what I was expecting. But I certainly wasn't expecting what he did.

Without wasting a second, he put his hand on the side of my face and pressed his lips to mine once more, wringing a surprised moan from me. Doubtless, of course, I returned the kiss eagerly, my hand latching onto his arm, begging silently for him to move closer.

But all too soon, it was over. He pulled away, ignoring the way my arm reached out to him as if to pull him back. He looked at me in another look that I couldn't figure out before quickly turning away and walking down the hall. He was gone before I even realized that I'd stopped calling him Prince Zuko in my mind.

I swallowed and wiped my mouth gingerly before opening the door to my room and walking inside.

Dana was pacing inside, and she turned to me the moment she saw me. "Oh Agni, Sen!" she exclaimed worriedly, running over to me. "I heard a scream, what happened? Are ya alright? Why'd ya scream?"

I blinked, and I had already decided what I was going to say to her. "I'll tell you in a little bit, Dana. But... you know how I was mad at you for lying about the ceremony?"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it _lying_, specifically -"

"Well, I haven't been completely honest with you, either." I took her arm and led her into the patient's room. "I've got some things to tell you."

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Phew! What'd you think of that? We're finally starting to get a relationship going!

Sorry about how random and fast that was. See, what's going on is just the whole "I like this girl so much and she's so pretty but, woops, I have a girlfriend" thing with Zuko. And Natsuki... well, she was under the influence, but also very consciously made the decision herself. So now it's gonna be really awkward between our two main characters =) And I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that they just can't avoid each other! Mwahaha being in control is good.

Review please! No flames! ;) or i kill u


	18. Chapter 18: News: The Good, The Bad, and

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: Wow! How many chapters did I just upload, man? Like four at a time? Shoot! I am on a roll! Well, I'm trying my best to make this story a little bit more interesting, and not so gosh darn slow for a change. And also, Natuski had that three day period of nothing, so obviously things are going to seem to be moving fast to her. Well, review please! I luff you all!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**News: The Good, The Bad, and The Unexpected**

Dana hasn't said anything for the past five minutes, something of a new record. I wanted to say something about this, but now wasn't a time for joking.

Now she knew. Everything.

After I'd calmed her down enough to get her to sit down, I began explaining everything. I started from the beginning. I told her about my mother and father, and their story. Dana looked confused when I told her my mom's name was Sen, but didn't interrupt me. I told her about their death, and how my life went on afterward. I told her about the day I first realized I was an airbender - how I'd seen birds flying and was strangely levitating as I thought of how I wanted to fly, too. I told her about my life, learning how to airbend while still keeping it a secret. I told her of my fear when the firebenders tried to take my Grandma, my confusion at Zhao's actions toward me, my joy at meeting friends like Shin Tao and Haku, and my heartbreak at leaving Sosuke. I told her about the night that Zuko caught me airbending, and how he'd attacked me. I told her about Uncle, and how he helped me survive mentally and keep my sanity. I told her how I'd promised myself that I'd keep her safe, too. And I told her, with slight hesitation, about my recent moments with Zuko, those awful hallucinations followed by hot, daring kisses.

And now, after five minutes, she said nothing. Only sat on the edge of my bed, watching the ground.

I knew I couldn't make her speak, couldn't make her look at me, even though I desperately wanted to plead for her forgiveness. I didn't, though. I knew she'd talk to me when she was ready. I stood and walked into the bathroom, giving her peace along with her thoughts. I pulled the plug in the tub, letting the water drain. There was not now, nor had there ever been, any blood in the bathtub. Someone had intentionally drugged me, and I was going to figure out who it was.

But not now. Now, I would wait. _Zuko said he'd take care of it,_ a voice told me, and I found myself smiling at the memory. Quickly, a blush creeped in and my happiness was pushed away by embarrassment and confusion. How long was this feeling going to last? Would I ever be able to look at him the same way again?

Or... would he too ask me to forget?

Something clenched inside my chest at the idea, and I winced. No, I knew I could never hope to forget what had happened between us. But would he?

I blinked away my worries and passed through my room, walking slowly in case Dana said something. She didn't.

I heaved an inaudible sigh and continued into the patients' room, gathering up the dirty sheets that I'd told myself I'd clean. Rolling them up in a wad, I made my way back into the bathroom and ran the warm water again, tentatively. I hadn't felt lightheaded since I started telling Dana all my secrets, but I wasn't quite sure if the drugs had worn off. What if, while I was cleaning the sheets, I hallucinated again?

My thoughts were broken apart as I felt a presence behind me. I turned my head, unable to turn my body as I was on my knees, and saw Dana looking nervously at her feet in the doorway.

"So," she started, her voice quiet. "Ya kissed the Prince, huh?"

I couldn't help but laugh. I blinked at her. "Out of everything I just told you, that's the thing you decide to bring up?" I asked incredulously.

She shuffled her feet and moved inside to sit on the closed lid of the toilet. "Well, that was the easiest one to start a conversation with," she said, letting herself smile awkwardly.

I grinned and returned to scrubbing the linen. "Why don't you just ask what you want to ask?" I questioned, giving her a knowing smile, hidden by the wall my thick hair created between our eyes.

It was quiet for another moment, as I'd expected, but finally words broke the stillness. "How are you an airbender?" she asked.

I furrowed my brow and stopped what I was doing to turn to her. "I'm not absolutely sure," I admitted. "Well, my mom had relatives in the Air Nomads, so I just assumed the genes were passed on to me. If it really is a gene, that is." I let my eyes wander to the window, watching as a breeze ruffled the leaves. "I've been thinking, though... What if bending doesn't just come naturally? What if there's some way to do it, no matter who you are? Like, someone from the Earth Kingdom could maybe learn airbending, if she wanted to enough. Or someone from the Water Tribes could learn how to melt ice with firebending, just because she needed to. Is it a gene, or is it something more... Something that we all have, but it just isn't awakened yet. Maybe that's the difference between the rest of us and the Avatar. He's open to all the elements because he's aware of them - because his very _soul_ is aware of each and every one of them, without bias. But we've been raised to think that whatever place we're born into, that's the bending we use. And if someone says, you can't bend, then you just can't. I don't think it can be that simple."

"Ya do a lotta thinkin', don't ya, Se-... I mean, Natsuki," she corrected, blushing in abashment.

I gave her a smile, then shook my head and returned to my work. "Probably more than I should," I confirmed.

"So, you saw Sosuke at the ceremony?"

Dusty gold eyes, looking into mine, shocked and guilty. Glowing blue eyes, wide with fear -

"I don't want to think about the ceremony right now," I whispered, biting my lip. "I'm not ready yet."

Dana nodded and promptly changed the subject, though her choice in conversation was slowly starting to prove to be terrible. "And what's all this with Admiral Zhao?" she asked. "Is he _flirting_ with ya or somethin'? He's, like, forty years old!"

"Oh, come on, Dana! He's a workaholic war fiend, not a pedofile!" I gave her an exasperated glance, then shut off the water and laid out the cloth on top of the tub to let it dry.

"Well, think about it!" she pressed, following me into the main room. "He touches your hand when you're scared, he compliments ya on your outfit - and _stutters_ while doin' so - and he caresses your face -"

"It wasn't a caress!" I argued. "It was just a... friendly touch is all."

"Friendly touch? I'm pretty sure he has somethin' more than 'friendship' on his mind!"

A cough in the doorway stole my attention, and I found a soldier with short, cropped hair hanging onto the hinges, trying to hold himself up. He held a rag to his face, which I could see behind his fingers was tinged with red. My eyes went wide and I completely forgot about Zhao or any of his confusing actions. "Get inside," I said to him, letting him drape an arm around my shoulders as I led him into the patients' room.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

I took the empty cup from the soldier and felt his forehead. His temperature had dimmed slightly, so I gave him some eucalyptis tea and set a few rags on his bedside table, and next to it a bucket of cold water.

"Try and get some sleep," I told him, placing a wet cloth gingerly on his forehead. "I'll be back in with some horehound and lemon balm tea."

"I don't want tea," he complained weakly. "I hate tea."

I smiled. "Well, if you hate being sick more than you hate tea, you'll drink it."

He said nothing after that, just closed his eyes and breathed, coughing weakly every now and again.

I left the room to find Dana pacing in the main room. I looked at her quizically. "What's wrong?"

"That guy has the same thing I had," she pointed out. "What if it's going around?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "He's just got a bad cough. Please don't try to make this a bigger deal than it really is."

"But I had the same thing!" she repeated.

I put my hands on her shoulders. "And you're fine now, aren't you?" She had no response to that. "See? Nothing to worry about. I'll take care of him just as I did you, and he should be up and fighting in no time."

She exhaled and nodded, though obviously still not entirely convinced. "I'll keep a wary eye, though, okay?" I added, trying to comfort her.

She nodded again, her expression less stressed. "Okay," she said. "I will, too. I'll tell ya if anyone else so much as clears their throat."

I laughed, but stopped when I heard a knock at my door. I opened it to find Zhao standing there, looking very business-as-usual, save for the odd look in his eyes. I blushed slightly, remembering my earlier conversation with Dana. Why was it that every friendship I had with a man turned into something embarrassing?

"The Princess wants to see you, Sen," he said, and I noticed the way his eyes flickered to Dana warily. _He's making sure he uses the right name,_ I concluded, and nodded to him.

"Okay, hold on," I said, holding a finger up at him telling him to wait. I went back to Dana. "I'll be right back. Can you keep an eye on the soldier for me? If he wakes up, just heat back up that tea, okay? That'll hold him until I get back."

"Okay," she said, eyeing Zhao over my shoulder. _She so thinks he's a pedofile._

I sighed through my nose and turned back to Zhao, still waiting dutifully at the door, not even setting a foot in my room. I walked out and shut the door behind me.

We walked, and the entire time my face felt warm. Why? I wasn't even remoted attracted to Zhao! _But he's attracted to me._ No, it wasn't possible. _It's very possible._ It didn't make sense! _What's not to make sense of? I'm probably the first girl he's spent time with in a long time, save for the concubines. Of course he's going to go where his you-know-what wants to go._ You-know-what? No, I don't know what! _Quit stressing out!_

"Natsuki, I have to talk to you."

My eyes snapped up to his, grateful for the escape from my schizophrenic thoughts. "What is it?"

He hesitated noticeably before he continued. "You must have noticed that I've been acting strange around you," he began.

_Oh no._ Dana was right!

"S-Strange?" I interrupted, trying to stall. _Think of something! Something to make him stop!_

"Yes, strange. I've been wanting to speak with you for some time now about this. About how I feel for -"

"We should probably get to Azula's room," I said quickly, moving my feet down the hall. "Don't wanna keep a princess waiting!"

But Zhao would have none of it. He stepped forward and grabbed my forearms, forcing me to look at him. His grip was hard, but it didn't hurt. "Dammit, Natsuki, this is important!" he exclaimed, his voice loud but not loud enough to alert others. "Listen to me!"

And then I saw it. That same look in his eyes that I'd already seen twice before. Sosuke's eyes, at that final goodbye; Zuko, staring at me heatedly, waiting in his arms; his golden eyes molten as they found my parted lips...

_No. Oh, please, no._

My heart pounded and I tensed up, too terrified to fight it. His hands were already hot on my skin; given any reason to, he'd end up burning me.

"I..." he began, his eyes flickering from my eyes to my lips, back and forth, up, down...

"What took you so long, Zhao?"

I'd never been more releaved to hear such a threatening voice. My breath, which I'd been holding in my chest, flew out in a rush, and with a single move I was out of Zhao's grip. He immediately went rigid, facing Azula with balled fists at his sides.

"Princess, I -"

"I hate to be kept waiting," she said pointedly, turning her eyes from the Admiral to me. "Come inside, healer. The Admiral has done his job." She met his eyes one last time before closing the door in his face.

She turned to me with the slightest smile and made her way to her plush red chair, very throne room worthy. She plopped herself down on it lazily, folding her hands over her torso in a position that looked strange on her, yet fitting. After all, she was a feral cat, and now she looked like one relaxing before the riverside, all thoughts of power struggles put away for the moment. "It seems Zhao has taken quite a liking to you," she remarked.

My face went red and my mouth gaped open. My words hitched in my throat, and finally I closed my mouth and shook my head. "N-No, he was just..."

Azula flicked her wrist in my direction absentmindedly. "Whatever, it doesn't matter to me anyway. I've only brought you here to give you an assignment."

I nodded, instantly pushing all thoughts of Zhao from my head. I had to focus, had to make sure I didn't screw this one up like I had the ceremony, lest I give her more reason to hate me.

"You are to come with me, my brother, Mai, and Ty Lee to Ember Island," she told me. "We are leaving tomorrow. I trust you'll be ready to go before then."

I nodded. "Yes, your highness. But... why me? Unless you expect to get sick while you're there?" I asked skeptically.

Her eyes narrowed ever so much, and it sent chills down my spine. "Don't question me. Just do as you're told."

"Yes, your highness," I said, then let myself out. Thankfully, Zhao wasn't waiting for me when I emerged. I let out a sigh, finding my way back to my room easily.

Dana didn't ask what was bothering me, so I didn't tell her. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, more like I didn't want what I knew to be true, and I felt that if I didn't voice it out loud it would just blow away, and it wouldn't be real.

The soldier, despite hating tea, drank the horehound and lemon balm mix I concocted for him greedily. His cough had lessened, but his fever remained the same. I instruced Dana to hang a few eucalyptis leaves above his bed, and habitually change them every day. I gave her the recipe for both of the teas, and my favorite pain remedy just in case something went wrong. "If anything really bad happens, just send a hawk to me, okay?" I'd learned that soldiers used highly trained messenger hawks to keep in contact, and figured this would be the easiest way for her to let me know if anything went wrong.

It was late before everything was done, and no matter how I curled, uncurled, stretched in my bed, I couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts, too much pent up energy...

I needed to airbend. Now.

Apparantly once was all I needed to memorize the location of something. I found the hidden garden easily and, under cover of darkness, with only moonlight dimly lighting my surroundings, I let out my frustrations in the best way I knew possible: to create my own wind, to manipulate the element of air, to finally feel in control of something, like everything wasn't crumbling underneath me.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Okay, so I got a review a while ago, while Natsuki was still on the ship, about how weird her relationship with Zhao was. Yes, it's weird. And creepy. And pedofilic. But that will all change, I promise. No, Zhao will never get his suck-face time with Natsuki. You have to remember, though, in a place like the Fire Nation, where time seems to wind back a few hundred years or so, back to Roman times and Colisseums, a forty-year-old man with a sixteen-year-old girl wasn't really looked down upon. So now it's mostly just Natsuki fighting him cuz she just don't like him like that! D=

Hope you like so far. Ember Island, here we come! I've got some plans lined up for this place. Get ready for some serious relationship development! =) Jeez, I need to stop writing so much. I just keep cranking these things out! I have no life, I know...

Review! Do it!


	19. Chapter 19: The Difference Between Need

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: Sooo.... pretty much no idea what's gonna happen here. I'm just gonna wing it, I guess. See what happens. Wish me luck! I'll make it good, I promise =)

This chapter inspired by It End Tonight - The All-American Rejects

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Nineteen**

**The Difference Between Need and Want**

I lay, with my back pressed against the cold cement of the garden, my chest heaving. My eyes stared into the sky, connecting the stars, forming scattered images in my mind. Sweat trickled down from my forehead, soaking my hair; my breath came in spurts and chokes, but still I wanted to airbend. My body was screaming for it, every piece of my soul urging to me to rise up again and continue.

But I couldn't. I'd never realized how different need and want were from each other until that very moment. I _needed_ to airbend; with every fiber of my being, I needed to airbend. But all I _wanted_ to do, despite the solid rock I'd tried my best to build around my heart, was cry. I wanted to cry until everything else faded away, cry away my fears and worries and heartaches and confusions.

My body couldn't take it anymore. My spirit took control of my mind and lifted me up with a bed of air, forcing me to my feet. My arms moved, my legs kicked, sending wave after wave of concentrated wind at my surroundings, drying my tears as if as an afterthought.

An hour later, and I once again laid against the concrete, ice-cold ground, choking on the air that I so helplessly needed. Completely spent, mentally and physcially, and finally finished with my airbending, my thoughts came slowly and incoherently, if at all.

Still wanted to cry. Didn't need to airbend anymore. Cry? No. Weakness. Get up? Can't. Not yet. Painful.

Want: cry. Won't. Want: get up. Can't. Need: ...

What did I need know?

I closed my eyes when the stars started spinning, ignoring the awful feeling in my stomach. I just wanted to sleep... Sleep, that was something I could do...

When I woke, the sky was a dark gray. The sun was getting ready to rise, but was trying to sleep in as much as it could.

I'd had the dream again, the one where I ran from the fire into Sosuke's arms. But was it really Sosuke? This guy's hair was straight, and sort of haphazard. Sosuke's was definately haphazard, but his had a natural curve to it; I remembered that it curled to the side by itself. My dream guy didn't have that.

So it wasn't Sosuke. Then who _was_ it?

_Quit stressing yourself out,_ I thought. _You're thinking too hard about this. Just let it go. It's a weird dream, big deal._

And then an explosion went off in my head, destroying everything inside and leaving only one thought in my mind. I'd figured out what I needed

I needed to see Uncle.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

My body had seemed to forget how sore it was, for as I sprinted to the prisonhold, I felt no pain. My mind was clear, no jetlag, no vertigo, just a solid thought of getting from point A to point B.

For some reason, the antagonistic guard wasn't there when I arrived; all the better for me. I knelt down immediately when I reached Uncle's cell, whispering his name frantically.

He seemed to jolt awake and turned to see me, his eyes lighting up as they met mine. He moved toward me, blinking tiredly, but smiling nonetheless. "Sen," he greeted, "what brings you here?"

I sniffled, even though there was an absense of tears in my eyes. "I need to talk to you," I admitted, slumping my shoulders. I just wanted to fall over, fall asleep, fade away...

"What's happened?" he asked, concerned, his smile giving way to a more serious expression.

I let out a humorless laugh. "There's... so much," I said, my breath feeling heavy in my lungs. "I'm sorry; it seems like I only come to you when I have a problem."

"On the contrary, I find it to be compliment!" Uncle reassured. "You've opened up to me completely, Sen, something that is very hard to do. Please, tell me what's wrong."

I swallowed, trying to quell my dry throat. "I guess I'll start at the most devastating," I tried. I took a breath, then continued. "I kissed Zuko."

"You kissed my _nephew?!_" Uncle exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"Wha- _Nephew?!_" I repeated, only a beat after.

Uncle closed his mouth instantly after my response, as if he'd said something he shouldn't. Finally, he sighed. "Yes, Prince Zuko is my nephew," he said quietly.

The pieces of the puzzle slowly came together in my head, and I whispered, "General Iroh. The Dragon of the West. That's _you_."

He nodded, his eyes still not meeting mine. "Yes. I'm sorry I did not tell you, Sen."

"Natsuki," I corrected, and his eyes turned to mine. "That's my real name. It's a long story. I'm sorry, too, Iroh. Looks like we both weren't completely honest with each other."

Iroh smiled. "It's a beautiful name, either way."

"Thank you."

Iroh blew out a breath, which ended in a tiny flame, quickly snuffed out. "So," he started, "you and my nephew..."

"Yeah, we- kissed," I said again; this time _I_ was the one avoiding _his_ eyes, now that I'd learned this new - and rather intimidating - information.

"How do feel about that?" he asked, squaring his shoulders at the oh-so-cliche line.

"I don't really know," I admitted, furrowing my brow. "It just sort of... happened. I mean, I was under a lot of stress, and he was there, and I needed something substantial, something comforting, and I guess I just sort of..." I trailed off, not sure what else to say.

Iroh had begun nodding as I spoke. "I understand," he said, and I let go of a nervous breath. "How do you think _he_ feels about it?"

I bit my lip, remembering his words, his flustered expression. "I don't think he was expecting it. After it was done, he started making excuses. He said that I wasn't in my right mind, and that I was confused and scared. Then he took me back to my room... and kissed me _again_... and then just left. He didn't even _say_ anything; he just left."

"That's something I'd expect him to do," Iroh said, a small smile playing at his lips, as if it reminded him of something funny.

"What do you think it means?" I asked, hating how much I wanted an answer.

Iroh shrugged. "Who knows what's going on in that boy's head?" he answered, and I sighed. "I wouldn't worry too much, Natsuki. Don't try and come up with false conclusions; when it's time, he will tell you how he feels."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure?" I asked skeptically. "He doesn't really seem like the pour-his-feelings-out kind of guy."

Iroh laughed at this. "I'm sure. Don't be too quick to judge him; there's a lot more to him than most care to see."

"Hm." I turned my eyes back to the ground, thinking about this.

"What else is troubling you?"

I sighed again and blinked slowly. "You know Admiral Zhao, don't you?"

"Oh yes," Iroh said, "I know him all too well."

I chuckled at his tone, but quickly sobered. "Well, I'm pretty sure he has feelings for me."

"There seem to be a fair amount of men in your life, Natsuki," Iroh observed, a playful grin on his lips.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I asked, and he laughed, shaking his head. "Anyway, he tried to tell me, but Azula cut him off, and thank goodness she did, because I was terrified!"

Iroh's expression was a confused one. "That's strange; Zhao doesn't seem to care for anyone."

"I know! I mean, I figured, you know, from how he acts and everything. It's just weird, I guess. I mean, I valued him as a friend and all and he's really helped me, but... Why does every single relationship I have with a guy have to end up to be something like _this?_" I exclaimed, tossing my hair. I suddenly pinned Iroh with a stare. "You're not gonna fall in love with me, are you?"

Iroh cracked up, and I couldn't help but join in. "Of _course_ not! We are friends, Natsuki, and will be for as long as we want to be."

I smiled and nodded. "Good."

"Now you said something about Azula earlier. You've talked with her, I assume?"

"Yes," I said. "She told me about the announcement ceremony."

"Ah," he said, his eyebrows raising with the dawning realization. "Are you alright? I heard about that."

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Better now than I was before, at least. I've stopped thinking about it, really."

"Good, good. Best not to think about it more than you have to," he agreed.

"She's making me go to Ember Island," I blurted out. "With her, and Mai, and Ty Lee. And Zuko."

"Oh, no," Iroh said gravely.

"What?" I asked, immediately growing frightened.

"She's planning something." Iroh's eyebrows drew together in thought. "What, I'm not exactly sure. But she knows about you and my nephew. She's trying to make sure you two can't avoid each other."

"How do you know?" I asked, trying to find a loophole. "Maybe she just..."

"I know my niece. Everything she does has a purpose, an alterior motive. Do not let your guard down around her, Natsuki. Promise me you won't do this."

"I promise," I said, meeting his eyes.

Iroh's shoulders slumped in relief, as if a weight had been lifted from him. "Good, thank you. When are you to go with them?"

"Tomorrow," I answered. "Well, I guess _today_ now."

"Then you should get ready." Iroh's eyes were intense as he looked at me, and I swallowed once again. "You must listen, Natsuki; don't give Azula any reason to dislike you. If you have already done something to irk her, fix it now, before anything goes wrong."

I nodded, but felt something cold surround me, and I shivered. She couldn't be that bad, could she?

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

A little short, I know. This was just sort of a filler chapter, really. I didn't want things to go too fast, you know, with so much going on dramatically _and_ going to Ember Island where even _more_ drama is going to happen. That'd just be too much in one sitting, I think. So that's my reasoning behind this relatively pointless chapter. Hope you liked it anyway!

Well, more secrets revealed there. Like I said, the chapter was inspired by It Ends Tonight by The All-American Rejects. Also by, as always, Stand My Ground by Within Temptation, Natsuki's theme.

Please review! (Did you know that if only ten people were reading this, but they reviewed on every single chapter, I'd have almost 200 hundred reviews?)


	20. Chapter 20: Ember Island 101

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: This chapter TWENTY is dedicated to Rodric Montalvo. Your reviews keep this story (and me) going! I luff you!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Twenty**

**Ember Island 101**

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" I asked Dana, looking up from my bag to pin her with a concerned gaze.

She flicked her wrist dismissively. "Of _course_! Don't worry, Natsuki; everythin's gonna be fine," she assured me with a smile.

"Okay," I breathed. I stepped back and took a look at what I'd packed for the trip to Ember Island: a few casual robes, my first Fire Nation outfit, socks, flipflops, undergarments and various other unmentionables (just in case), a hairbrush, soap, and some oils and softly-scented inscence. The inscence in the Fire Nation was so strong, the smell of spices like cinnamon and harvest pumpkin conquering the air's own light scent of the world. Sometimes I needed to tone things down myself, and take the scent of my surroundings into my own hands. And in a place called Ember Island, where smoke probably bullied the air, I'd need as much counterattack as I could carry.

"I think I've got everything!" I announced happily, bouncing on the balls of my feet and giving Dana a smile.

She, however, looked at me as if I'd missed something obvious. "What?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.

She sighed. "Do ya have any idea where you're goin'?" she asked me.

I furrowed my brow. "Of course," I answered bluntly. "Ember Island."

"But do ya _know_ what that place is like?"

"Yeah!" I exclaimed, flustered, but refusing to be made a fool of. My pride would be the death of me. "It's an island, with... sand... and people... and it's a vacation spot!"

_Pathetic,_ my mind spat at me.

Dana rolled her eyes, certainly thinking the same thing. "Ember Island is _the_ party spot of the Fire Nation. Why do ya think no adults are goin' with ya there?" She didn't wait for me to respond. "Because they don't wanna go! They have more important, adult things to do. The only reason _anyone_ goes to Ember Island is to get a tan, show themselves off, play some beach volleyball, and party! Do ya really expect to swim, tan, show yourself off, and party in some _robes_?" She raised an eyebrow at me, frowning as if she'd never heard of someone doing such a thing.

"I... guess not?" I said, though it came out as more of a question than anything else.

"Of course you're not!" she agreed, finally smiling. "So, we need to find ya somethin' nice to wear. A swimsuit and a cute dress for a party!"

"But what about this?" I asked, holding up the top of my first outfit.

Dana seemed to recoil from it. "Ya can't wear _that_ to a _party_! Ya don't wanna give the boys there the wrong idea!"

I dropped the top and followed after her slowly, my forehead crinkling with confusion. "What wrong idea?" I asked, but she didn't hear me.

After a few hallways and a door or two, we stepped inside the largest closet I had seen in my entire life. It was as long as a hallway, with long stretches of labeled sections, such as 'Dresses' and 'Shirts' and 'Intimates' - I stayed away from that section after looking at a few of the clothes (if they could be called such) hanging there.

"Why haven't I ever seen _this_ before?" I asked in wonder, eyes wide as I skimmed over the dresses and tall shelves of shoes. "Who is this all _for_?"

Dana had a smug smile on her face, enjoying my reaction. "It's all the clothes for the royals. Ya didn't think they kept all their own clothes in their tiny little closets, did ya?" she asked when she recieved a glance from me.

"I guess I never really thought about it," I admitted, turning my attention back to all the clothes and accessories laid out in front of me. I didn't know where to start!

Thankfully, Dana did. "Let's look for a swimsuit first, shall we?" she offered, and started thumbing through the section labeled 'Beach Wear'. First, she held up an all-white two-piece, which I immediately rejected. Then, a red and white striped one-piece, which I cringed at, and then rejected. One after another after another, she showed me swimsuit after swimsuit, and every single one I rejected.

Until she tossed aside a two-piece green suit on a hanger.

"Wait, wait, wait!" I said, practically jumping over to the chair she'd thrown it on. I held it up, admiring it.

Dana made a face as she saw it. "Ya can't be serious!" she exclaimed.

"What?" I asked. "It's so cute! And it's my color, too."

"But... everyone there's gonna be wearin' _red_..."

"I don't care," I said stubbornly, smiling and holding up the suit in front of a mirror, seeing how it would look on me. "I love it; I'm wearing it."

Dana sighed. "Well, as long as ya like it, I guess," she conceded, smiling with me. "Now, let's find a dress."

A few conversations and dozens of dresses later, I ended up with a green dress, the color of natural malachite. It was a light fabric, flowing to reach my knees, but still tight from the waist up. The straps were about an inch thick, braiding together at the back before becoming sort of tassels that reached a little lower than my knees. I couldn't help but do a few twirls in front of the mirror, an incureable smile on my lips, stretching my face. I pulled up my hair with my hands, and Dana helped me decide how I'd wear my hair.

"We don't even know if there's going to _be_ a party," I said, but still couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

"Don't say that," Dana objected, pulling various jewelry off of a wall near the shoes. "It's Ember Island; of _course_ there's gonna be a party. And you'll look _amazin'_ for it." She held up a jade necklace in front of my neck, and I tried on a few round malachite bracelets and a matching ring. "Prince Zuko won't be able to keep his eyes off of ya!"

Apaarently that was the one thing that could get me to stop smiling. "Yeah," I said quietly, looking down.

Dana caught my expression. "What's wrong?" she asked innocently, sitting down in a nearby chair.

I took of the bracelets and rings and moved away from her, gathering my clothes so I could change back. "It's nothing," I answered.

She didn't believe me. "Listen, if ya don't want me talkin' about the Prince, just say so."

I glanced at her, and she looked away, but still continued. "I mean, you guys kissed, I get it. I just want ya to know that I don't envy ya or anything. I'm not jealous. It's okay."

My mouth gaped open slightly, and I shook my head. "No. No, Dana, that's not it." I kneeled down in front of the chair she was sitting in. I put my hands over hers and looked up at her, meeting her worried eyes. "I just... I just feel weird about this whole thing with him. The kiss and everything... I'm just worried that it'll be awkward between the two of us now. It has _nothing_ to do with you. I'm not mad at you, Dana, I promise," I finished with an encouraging, wholehearted smile.

Her lips turned up in a grin, and she let out a small sigh of relief. "Good," she said. She patted her legs and smiled fully. "Well, we better get out of here before anybody sees us!"

I blinked. "What?" I yelled, catching myself and looking around worriedly. "You mean we're not supposed to be in here?"

"It's the _royals'_ closet; of course we're not allowed in here!"

I nearly tore the dress off of me, changed back into my robes, and gathered up all the clothes I'd picked up, running after Dana through the halls back into my room.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. A soldier came to collect me from my room when it was time to leave, and I'd already said my goodbyes to Dana, so it wasn't too painful leaving her when the time came. Azula and her two friends, Mai and Ty Lee, were walking up the bridge to the metal ship when I saw them, and I got on the boat soon after. We waved to the crowd that had gathered - or at least, Ty Lee and I did; Mai leaned against a wall in uninterest, and Azula simply nodded to a few people as the ship floated past. The only thing that was particularly noteworthy of the rest of that afternoon was:

Zuko was nowhere to be found.

I guess I looked like I was looking for someone, for the happy girl - Ty Lee, I believe - came up to me. Well, more like _cartwheeled_ up to me. "Are you looking for someone?" she asked, her voice light and curious.

I jumped a little at her voice; I hadn't been expecting her to talk to me. "Uh- no, not really," I lied, shaking my head.

She frowned, knowing I wasn't being honest, but shrugged. "Well, Zuko's the only one who's not here," she pointed out.

_Crap,_ I thought. Of course that's who I was looking for.

She smiled, knowing she'd found it out. "He's in his room," she said, putting her leg up on the railing and leaning forward in a stretch. "He's probably brooding or something, like he always is." She rolled her eyes at this, but her smile still stayed there, as if painted on her face.

I wasn't sure what to say, since I'd never really asked her specifically where he was, so I just muttered a small "Thanks," and started down the stairs to the cabins below.

Somewhere in the middle of the hall, I stopped. What was I doing? Okay, so I'd go into Zuko's room. What then? What would I say to him? I'd obviously have to have something important to say if I was just going to burst into his room unannounced.

I let out a grunt as someone pushed past me, making me stumble and nearly hit the wall. I looked up and Mai glanced back at me, not even saying a "sorry" before she turned the corner and left my sight.

I frowned and rubbed my shoulder where hers had hit me. _How rude,_ I whined in my head, and kept walking. I'd just think of something when I got there. Yeah, that would work. And knowing him, he'd probably say something, and I'd definately have something to say after that. And then we'd be arguing... Well, I didn't really want to _argue_ with him, but it would be better than talking about what I _wanted_ to talk about.

I took in a deep breath, stopping in front of what was obviously his door, and raised my hand to knock. No, wait, best not to knock. If I just walk in, he can't shut the door in my face. Yes, just walk in and make him listen. Good plan.

I opened the door, stepped inside, and stopped dead in my tracks.

Zuko was sitting in a plush red chair, with Mai sitting on his lap, her hands on his shoulders and her legs hanging off the armrest. Zuko's hand found the back of her neck, and their lips moved together like they'd been born to kiss each other.

Zuko's eyes opened at the noise his door made when it opened, and widened when he saw me. He pulled away from Mai with a gaping mouth, his expression completely surprised. And almost a little guilty.

Mai turned to look at me, missing Zuko's face, and pinned me with an annoyed stare. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice a monotone laced with irritation.

I stuttered, my mouth and mind on completely different frequencies. "I-I-I... U-Uh-Um... No-Nothing. Nevermind, i-it's nothing."

I nearly ran out the door, slamming it behind me. My heart was still, and my brain was straining itself just to make out a coherent thought. All that came to my mind in that moment was:

What had I just _seen?_

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

A/N: Chapter 20! I was totally bored with this chapter until that little very end piece right there.

First of all, thank you so much for the people who read this story, and especially the people who read my author notes. I love writing them, because it makes me feel sort of connected to you guys in a way. Like my readers are really people, instead of computers who occasionally leave reviews.

I have something sort of deep to talk about. When I was in 6th grade, my dad passed away from cancer. I was too young to really grieve properly, and it seems that I'm starting to grieve now. I just had a terrible cry last night, and I had to skip school today because of it. So yeah, super emotionally traumatized right now. I'm going to try to use my emotions to my advantage, so that's at least a good thing. But I just wanted to let you guys know that, and let you know what's going on with me. Thanks so much for reading; it really means a lot.

So, on the topic of the story: In this chapter (and a few chapters prior) you get to see more into Natsuki's mind on the subject of guys. Remember, she was raised in a world without men, so she knows nothing of sex, or sluts, or any of that. I don't think she really knows where babies come from! So while her hormones are going out of whack, she doesn't know why or what for. Little tidbits there.

Also, I'm sorry if the conversation between Natsuki and Dana seemed a little superficial. Idk it sounded that way to me. And I just had to put in a walk-in closet! I broke down, I know... lol

Review please!


	21. Chapter 21: Just Like a High School Hall

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: Well, those of you who read my author notes know that I'm going through a tough time right now. That's why it's been a pretty long while since my last update. I'm thinking of posting up a little sort of diary thing (with the names switched, of course) about what's been happening to me lately. I'm not completely sure though. The song Gives You Hell by The All-American Rejects has been getting me through the days lately.

Also, I hate to say this yet again, but reviews really mean a lot to me, especially with everything I'm going through. Lately I haven't been feeling wanted, by _anyone_ really, even my mom (especially her, actually) and seeing that I have a new review or two brightens up my days like no other. So if you like this story, please let me know. Things are so hard, and I'd hate to abandon this story like so many others.

Well, here's chapter 21! I'll try and make it good, but I might be a little rusty.

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**Just Like A High School Hallway**

I wasn't sure what to think then. All that was running through my mind was that image, scarred into my thoughts, of them kissing. Her arms around him, eyes closed, looking like they were in heaven...

My heart felt like someone was squeezing it. My hands flew to my chest, fists almost pounding against my ribcage as my breath flew out of my lungs.

How could he _do_ that? How could he kiss me, not just once but _twice_, and then go and kiss a girl like _Mai_? I didn't see how that was possible. A kiss was the greatest symbol of love that I knew of, and he was sharing one with both her _and_ me?

I couldn't wrap my mind around it.

I walked as if in a trance, all the way down the hall, to the last room and chose it as mine. I didn't want to sleep, or even sit, next to Zuko's room with the knowledge that he was kissing another girl as I rested.

I sat on my bed, shoulders slumped, then leaned back until gravity took me and I fell on the mattress, unsettling the amber sheets. I closed my eyes and heaved a sigh, my heart filled to the brim with desolation.

Then my eyes snapped back open. _Desolation?_ I thought. I hadn't felt desolation since I became old enough to comprehend my parents' deaths! And now I was feeling desolate once again because of a _guy?_

No. I sat up, glaring at nothing in particular. I would not let someone have such a hold on me - especially if they were just going to misuse their power. And _definately_ not Zuko! That angry, egotistical Prince had no right to play with my emotions.

I stood up and forced myself to hold my head up high. _He's not worth my sadness,_ I thought. _I'll show him. I'll show him that he means nothing to me; that seeing him with Mai means nothing to me._

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

It was later in the evening, a little before sunset, before I finally exited my room. I'd spent the day pampering myself - well, as much as one could be pampered on a small ship as it were - and looked in the mirror, satisfied. My skin was glowing, my hair was still slightly damp and clinging to my face in complementary curls, and my clothes and body smelled of gardenia and fern.

I looked even better than any of the concubines, if I could say so myself.

I sent a smile to my reflection and walked out the door, shutting it behind me. Throughout all that pampering and stress-free-aura creating, my room had become a hideous mess, with towels, robes, and bottle of scented oils thrown here and there and everywhere. I would hate for anyone to see that and think of me as a wooly-pig living in a sty.

I nodded to the soldiers I passed, giving them a smile as I walked down the hall, and didn't miss how a few of them - if they weren't immediately busy with something else - seemed to notice me more so than usual. My smile grew in pride, happy that I was finally learning how to utilise my pretty features for a specific cause.

And this one: to make sure Zuko noticed how happy and beautiful I was without him.

The deck of the ship held a peaceful feel to it, and for some reason that bothered me. I was not in the mood for peaceful. I was in the mood for some serious fun, something where everyone was smiling and noticing me while I had fun. The few number of soldiers on the deck couldn't even begin to constitute a crowd.

I rolled my eyes and sighed inwardly, wishing we were already at Ember Island. I wanted Zuko to see me having fun, and see his face when he saw that I could laugh and smile without him.

Footsteps on the metal ship distracted me from my thoughts, and sure enough, with his impecible timing, Zuko walked up the stairs to the bridge, his head bowed and hands clasped behind his back as if in deep thought.

I felt my eyes narrow at the sight of him, and I huffed, looking away and surveying the rest of the people on the deck. I needed to find someone to talk to, so Zuko could see me talking to someone else.

One of the soldiers turned around, facing the rest of the ship, and I smiled brightly as I recognized him. I ran toward him and when I was hardly two steps away I yelled, "Haku!"

His eyes darted to me one second before he was bowled over from the force of my hug. "Hey, Natsuki!" he said, smiling, but still looking slightly bewildered.

"Sh!" I shushed him, putting a finger to his lips, my eyes darting around. "It's Sen now. Nobody knows my real name."

He laughed at this, raising an eyebrow at me. "Keeping secrets, huh? That's definately not the Natsuki I knew."

I shrugged, rolling my eyes playfully. "What can I say? Working at the palace has changed me."

"I'll say," he agreed, giving me a not-so-quick once over. "Wow, you look great."

I smiled and looked away bashfully. "Thanks," I muttered, twirling a strand of hair around my finger. My eyes found Zuko, who'd finally looked up and noticed me. His eyes narrowed.

I turned back to Haku, happy that my plan was working, but still not completely satisfied. I had something to prove, and I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight until I did. "Hey, Haku, I need you to do me a favor," I said, lowering my voice and grabbing his hand, making sure it was the side that Zuko could see.

Haku blinked, his eyes flicking to our hands, and I could feel him tense up. "Uh, sure, what do you need?" he asked slowly, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for his response. "I need you to kiss me."

He gaped, blinking like he'd seen a ghost. "W-What?" he asked when he'd finally regained his composure.

I looked quickly at Zuko and saw that he was still staring at us. Good, but I didn't have a lot of time. "I'll explain later," I told Haku, pleading with him with my eyes. "Please, just kiss me. Now."

"O-Okay..." he said, his eyes darting around, confused. Nevertheless, he raised his hand to my cheek, leaned down, and pressed his lips to mine.

I parted my lips and pressed close to him, feeling him tense up at the contact, but his other hand - the one Zuko could see - found my waist and rested there. I leaned my head back, letting him kiss me deeper, and opened my mouth so he could slip his tongue inside.

I had to give him credit; he knew how to kiss. It wasn't nearly like fireworks exploding in my brain like how it'd been with Zuko, but it definately wasn't bad. He certainly knew how to make something look real.

When we finally broke apart, I discreetly looked through my hair in Zuko's direction, and found him stopming down the stairs and disappearing to the lower hall.

I turned back to Haku and smiled. "That was perfect, Haku!" I congratulated. "Thank you _so_ much."

He laughed, his hand moving from my waist to rub the back of his neck. "Thanks, I guess," he said. "But... do you mind telling me what just happened?"

I laughed. "Oh, yeah." I took his hand again and began leading him to the stairs. "Here, I'll tell you in a sec. Follow me."

Haku wordlessly agreed, and followed me down the stairs, and through the hall. When we reached my room, I opened the door, and saw Zuko out of the corner of my eye, standing at the corner, watching as Haku entered my room. His eyes looked murderous, and slightly horrified. I smirked, happy that my behavior was affecting him so strongly.

I shut the door behind us and walked into my room, Haku looking around with a smirk. "Inviting me into your room already?" he asked, a silly look on his face. "You know, some guys could get the wrong idea."

Even though I had no idea what that 'wrong idea' would be, since we were only talking in my room, I decided to play along. "But you're not one of those guys, are you, Haku?"

"Of course not," he said, melodramatically putting his hand to his heart. "I'm a chivalrous man, decent and gentlemanly."

I giggled and rolled my eyes, sitting cross-legged on my bed. "Keep telling yourself that."

"So," Haku began, pulling up a chair and sitting on it backwards. "What was up with all that on deck?"

I blew out a breath, the air disturbing my bangs. "Well, I just wanted to prove a point," I said, trying to let him know the meaning of my strange actions without giving too much away.

"Oh," he drawled, his face dawning with realization. "Trying to get some other guy jealous? Well, if you ever need another fake boyfriend, by all means, call on me. I won't mind." He waggled his eyebrows at me, throwing me into a fit of rolling laughter.

When I got control of my breathing, and my abdomen stopped hurting, I sat back up and fixed my hair. "So what have you been up to?" I asked. "Anything interesting?"

Haku blushed, something I thought he'd never do, and twiddled his thumbs in front of the chair. "Actually, I think I have a girlfriend," he admitted, smiling.

"Aw!" I couldn't help myself from saying. "What's her name?"

"Sara," he said, like it was the most beautiful sound in the world. "She's eighteen - a year younger than me."

"That's so great; I'm so happy for you," I gushed, finding it funny that I had just ended a relationship - if it was even called such - and he was starting one.

"Thanks."

I thought for a moment, then looked at him seriously. "If that kiss bothered you, you know, with your girlfriend and everything... I mean, don't feel obligated to help me out."

Haku shook his head. "Naw, it's fine. Better me than any of the other perverts on this ship. I mean, I'm a pretty big pervert, I'll admit it, but the rest of these guys? Trust me, better someone you know than someone you don't." Then he added, "Besides, it's not like it means anything, right?"

"Exactly!" I breathed, thankful that he wasn't going to try and start a relationship with me. I'd been afraid that the kiss would spiral into something more, something I didn't want, and then I'd just have another guy pathetically in love with me. Even though Haku was definately happy to be physical, he knew just as well as I that that was all it was. Just a way to get back at Zuko.

And if my observations were correct, it sure was working.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

A/N: Phew! I'm sooo glad I came up with the fake boyfriend idea, or else this chapter would not have been written. I needed some good drama, and nothing was really appealing to me. Honestly, I'd lost my passion for this story! Eeeek! But I got it back, so it's all good =)

Review please!


	22. Chapter 22: According to Plan?

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: Can't wait for more drama! I'm so excited! Hope you guys are lovin' this as much as I am! Well, here's chapter twenty-two!!!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

**According to Plan...?**

Oh yes, it was working.

I had hardly seen hide nor tail of Zuko during the entire journey to Ember Island since I'd kissed Haku. The ride only took about half a day or so, since it wasn't too far away from the Capitol, but I was surprised at how long that felt.

And during that short-yet-long time, I was surprised by how many emotions swam through me.

After Haku left to continue his soldier duties, I cleaned up my room, feeling proud and accomplished about what I'd done. I'd made Zuko jealous as was my goal, and I felt almost dastardly, which is something I'd never really felt until then. Like I was breaking a rule. And I liked it. A lot.

But then, when things settled down and my room looked relatively in order, I decided to go on deck for a bit of fresh air. As I walked down the hallway, I noticed Zuko walking down the corridor in my direction. I straightened my back to show how strong I was without him, but for some reason, the closer he got to me, the more I wanted to slouch and just crawl away, like I'd disappointed someone special to me and I was ashamed.

And what was even worse: he didn't even look at me. Even though my eyes kept flicking to him, trying to gauge his reaction to seeing me, not once did he even glance at me. He just kept walking, and when he passed he moved closer to the wall just so his shoulder wouldn't brush mine.

That had the same feeling as a slap to the face. Like he was saying, "I'm so disgusted by you that I feel if you touch me I'll be infected by something."

I couldn't go on deck then, because my eyes began to tear up, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why. I'd accomplished what I'd set out to do! I wanted to get back at him, and I did!

When I was sure he'd gotten to his destination, I ran back to my room and shut the door, trying to piece together my strange thoughts.

It was much later when I realized that I hadn't wanted to make him angry. I'd thought that I wanted him to be mad, to feel how I felt when I saw him kissing Mai. But I hadn't felt mad when I saw him kissing her. I'd felt _desolation_. I'd wanted him to feel desolate, too. I wanted him to see me with another guy and hit him and take me back, and tell me that he dumped Mai for me. I wanted him to understand my sadness and heartbreak and come to me and apologize and lay out his heart so I could stomp on it. And then when it lay there in a bloody pulp I'd piece it back together with a kiss, because I wanted him to be mine and no one else's.

What an awful, horribly thought out plan! How had I expected that to work? He was justified in everything that he was doing! He thought I'd moved on! And now he was probably going to be even closer to Mai, because he thought I hated him! And why would he want to be around someone who hated him?

I cursed myself for my stupidity. I needed to talk to him, to explain everything. It would be hard, and embarrassing, and impossible to put into words, but I had to do it.

But as I wandered the halls, stomped on the deck, and peeked into the bridge, I found that he was nowhere. I had to stop myself from banging on doors and asking if anyone had seen him. _He's probably in his room again, with Mai,_ I thought, and cringed, for it was most likely the truth. Understandably so, too. I could not blame him, no matter how much I wanted to.

I went back to my room then, wishing I had someone to talk to. I briefly considered finding Haku, but figured I'd already taken up enough of his time. Eventually, after many silent insults at myself, I fell asleep.

I wasn't sure how long I slept, but the sun was noticeably lower in the sky when Haku knocked on my door. I opened it and rubbed my eye, still half-asleep. "Yeah?" I asked.

"We're here," he announced with a smirk. I'd noticed long before that he didn't smile; he smirked.

That woke me up. Sadly, the first coherent thought that entered my mind was: _I'll see Zuko._

"Great!" I said, forcing a smile that was probably too big for my face. I could tell that Haku saw something was wrong from the look in his eyes, so I quickly cut him off before he could ask. "I'll be out in a little bit, 'kay?" Without waiting for an answer, I shut the door in his face.

I fixed myself in the mirror quickly, unruffling my clothes and taming my hair, which had dried while I was sleeping and now looked a frizzy mess, then stepped outside with my bag. I walked up on deck and shaded my eyes from the harsh glare of the sun.

Everything about this place seemed bright, like it was on fire. The sand reflected the sun's orange glow, creating a floor of flame on which countless teens sunbathed, played beach volleyball, and talked about when the next party was going to be. Different colored umbrellas littered the beach, towels under them occasionally covered by people. Balls of all different sizes flew through the air, over nets, and houses made of wood and bamboo lined the horizon. The sky looked like it was bleeding.

My heart pounded in my chest, and a smile rose to my face in anticipation of the fun that I was sure to experience here. But then my eyes returned to the ship, and its occupants, and I knew that that wasn't true. Mai was here, as was Zuko, who was currently furious with me, and Azula, and I still wasn't sure how she felt about me, but judging from Uncle's warning, surely she had something up her sleeve in inviting me here.

At that moment I brought up all my walls, encasing myself in boulders. I would not let anyone hurt me while I was here. Things had been happening so quickly; I'd been hurt so much already. I was not going to let anyone take advantage of me here, not if I could help it.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Azula had ordered me to stay at the house - to 'guard their belongings from thieves' - while the rest of the group went to the beach to go play volleyball. I'd expected to be left behind, in fact I was a little grateful, but I hadn't expected how bad it would feel. I felt completely left out.

I slumped in the chair in the entryroom, glancing out the window to see the sun's position in the sky. It was nearly nighttime; they should be getting back soon.

An hour later, and I paced back and forth in the room, hands behind my back, worried thoughts running through my head. Why weren't they back yet? Did something happen? Should I go try and find them, or stay here? What if something really _was_ wrong, and I was just sitting here?

I'd finally made up my mind to go out and search for them when the door opened in my face, stopping me in my tracks.

Zuko stood in front of me, his hair damp, his bangs sticking to his forehead. He had his shirt off and a red towel draped over his shoulder. For once, I couldn't feel his heat penetrating the air.

However, that changed as soon as he noticed I was standing in front of him. The heat of the atmosphere was almost choking, and I had to take a few steps back to breathe. He seemed to take this in an angry manner, and narrowed his eyes and walked inside, falling down into one of the chairs farthest away from me.

I stood there, not knowing quite what to say. I was happy that they were all indeed alright, or else he wouldn't be here. But after a while I noticed Zuko staring at me, and I realized he'd thought that I was leaving, and was waiting for me to.

That hurt me, that he wanted me to get out of his sight so badly, and before I could stop myself I was speaking to him. "Zuko..."

"Weren't you leaving?" he asked, tearing his eyes away from me and leaning back in his chair, however he looked the exact opposite of relaxed.

"I was only going to go look for you and your sister," I explained, closing the door and stepping back into the room. "You'd been gone so long..."

"Maybe that was because we didn't want to be _here_," he spat, and I knew exactly what - or _who_ - he was referring to.

"Please, Zuko," I pleaded, stepping forward, "let me explain."

He scoffed. "Explain away," he said, leaning forward to dry his hair with the towel. "I have no idea what you're explaining."

"I didn't mean to kiss Haku!" I blurted out. I immediately wished I could bite that sentence back; it wasn't what had happened at all, my wording had gotten screwed up.

Zuko hunched forward for a moment, then leaned back enough to see me through his hair. "How can you not mean to kiss someone?" he asked condescendingly, pinning me with a glare.

I swallowed. "That wasn't what I meant to say..." I started.

"Let me guess: you were just the victim," Zuko interrupted. "You walked in on me and Mai and wanted to get back at me." Suddenly, he threw the towel at the wall and stood, making me take a shaky step back. "Well, congratulations," he spat through his teeth. "You wanted to piss me off; you succeeded."

He started to head off into the hallway, but I called after him. "Zuko!" I ran across the room in an effort to stop him.

He whirled around, and I was suddenly faced with the full force of his anger. The air was rolling in waves of heat, the molecules moving together so fast that I was surprised sparks weren't created. I could hardly breathe through the thick fog of anger and fire. "Don't call me that," he said, every word containing a period after it was spoken. He walked toward me, and with every step he took forward I took one back, trying to get air into my lungs. "You have no status, no parentage. You're an Earth Kingdom rat who just happened to land the dream job. I am Prince Zuko to you, or your highness. Anything but Zuko."

I sucked in a breath, feeling heady. Perhaps it was my lack of oxygen that gave me confidence, or maybe it was sheer stupidity, I wasn't sure. All I knew was that I was backed into a wall and unable to breathe, and I needed to get this volcano away from me before I passed out. And the only way to do that was to make him angry. "Is that really the reason?" I asked, staring him in the eye. "Or is it just because you can't stand feeling close to someone who betrayed you?"

His jaw clenched; I could practically hear his teeth grinding together. He clenched a fist and slammed it into the wall, right above my shoulder, next to my head. Needless to say, his fury terrified me, as did the fact that his knuckles were slowly making the bamboo smolder, but I forced myself to maintain his gaze. I wouldn't let him best me.

Heat seems to do strange things to me. For example, I'd just said something that I normally never would, and to royalty! I'm not completely sure why heat does these things to me, but for some reason then, as I met Zuko's eyes fearlessly, I pushed myself off the wall, rested my hands on his blazing chest, and captured his tense lips with mine.

The fire that engulfed me then was overwhelming, both figuratively and literally. His heat and anger and passion seemed to seep into me, and my body broke out in goosebumps and my skin tingled. His arms embraced me and pulled me to him and he kissed me back furiously, as if to show me his rage through his kiss. I had to bend my head back to him, and I felt almost a strange sense of submission. I didn't like that at all.

I pushed him back and broke the kiss, though I won't boast that I had enough strength to make him take a step back. I stood silently in his arms, my hands resting on his shoulders, and I didn't once look away from his eyes, and he did the same. We stared at each other for a moment, breathing heavily, trying to send our anger and distaste into the other through our gaze.

As if Zuko could read my previous thoughts, he lifted me up so my head was higher than his and kissed me again. I held him close, tangling my fingers in his hair, wanting to feel him, wanting him to feel me, to know how angry I was at him for kissing Mai, for being such a jerk, for burning me, for _everything_. And I knew he wanted me to feel his anger; his anger toward me, toward his family, toward _everything_.

I moaned as his teeth grazed my bottom lip and I pressed closer, having never felt this kind of passion before, and wanting more. His hand moved up my waist and sent shivers down my spine, and I had to wrap my legs around his waist to keep from falling. He groaned at this, low in his throat so it almost sounded like a sound an animal might make, and kissed me harder, his tongue finding its way to mine.

And that's when the doorknob turned.

Both of our heads turned to the door at the exact same time, but Zuko was the first to act. He threw me - _threw_ _me_ - onto the couch and ran down the hall, into his room, right before the door opened.

Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee walked in, all with towels and dressed in swimsuits. Mai went to her room without a glance in my direction. Azula gave me a confused look, but didn't say anything, just calmly went to the bathroom and shut the door.

Ty Lee glanced at me, then did a double take. "Whoa, what happened to you?" she asked, holding her towel around her small frame. "You look like a wreak!"

I blinked and absentmindedly smoothed my hair. _My face must be so red,_ I thought. "I just, uh... tripped, that's all," I answered lamely.

"Are you okay?" she asked, taking a step toward me. Then her eyes widened at the floor.

"What?" I asked, then sat up to get a better look at what had her so horrified.

A small purple vase that had sat on the corner of the table in front of the couch lay shattered on the floor, its tiny buds sadly limp and the rug working on soaking up the spilt water.

Azula walked out of the bathroom, eyed the mess, and said uninterestedly, "That's coming out of your pay."

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Woot! Love me some Zuko kissin'! Hope you do, too! D Hope you liked that chapter, and I'm sorry it's been taking me so long to update lately! I'm not abandoning you, I promise!

Review please!


	23. Chapter 23: We Meet Again

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.**

A/N: I'M BAAAAAACK! You've been waiting for a while now, huh? What is it, like a year now? Jeez…. Well, I'm inspired by all your reviews! Secretly, I really want to get to 100 XD And, of course, to please you guys! So, here this is, the next chapter in The Iris and The Lily! Hope you like!

**The Iris and The Lily**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**We Meet Again**

I stayed up late picking up the pieces of the broken vase and soaking up the water from the rug with various towels, then hanging them outside to dry. I took my time, though, much more than necessary, for I knew I'd have trouble sleeping that night.

Zuko and I kissed. Again. And it was even more sudden and heated than the last time.

What was happening? How did he and I always end up in these situations? And why did we continuously act on their impulses, instead of thinking things through? Sure, I had always been that way, except when it came to my airbending, but a Prince? He _must've_ been taught at some point in his life to think before he leaps. And the two of us had certainly made a few hops, skips, and jumps since we'd met.

I sat back on my legs and wiped my forehead. Man, that water really soaked through, but finally the rug was dry. I folded the last towel on my arm and pushed myself up, walking outside and hanging it on the rail of the raised porch to dry with the rest.

The air was cool and felt good in my lungs. Despite being so close to the Fire Nation, the air here had an almost watery quality to it that made it so pleasant. Nothing like the earthy atmosphere of home, but certainly better than the charred smoke of the Palace.

I took a moment to rest my arms on the rail and just breathe. How long had it been since I'd had a spare minute or two to enjoy the air? Since coming into the Palace, my life had been a whirlwind, but something about this island… It relaxed me. The stars were twinkling gently against the indigo sky; the moon halfway between new and full, looking out over the world through sleepy, half-lidded eyes; the soft breeze running through my hair and swirling around me.

Unable to help myself, I swirled my index finger, forming a small line of air, and started tracing shapes in the night like one might do with a sparkler in a festival. Just this tiny bit of airbending healed my nervous heart more than anything ever could, and I smiled.

Things weren't so bad. I was still handling it just fine, and I could keep handling it. I'd get out of here somehow, and get back home, back to Grandma and Miyuki, and I could find trowels for her and climb up and down those crazy stairs all I wanted.

I felt myself tearing up, that familiar prickling behind my eyes, at the memory of my old home.

"I'll get through this," I whispered to myself. I raised my head to stare into the stars, as if challenging them to hear me and believe me. "I'll get through this."

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Azula was awake early that morning, and the first thing she did was check to make sure I cleaned up the vase.

"Where'd you put the pieces?" she asked.

"The trash can," I answered, obviously. Wasn't that where you put all your trash?

She raised an eyebrow, as if I was dumb. She probably thought I was. "Don't keep it in the house. Put it in the dump at the back of the island."

A dump? A place as beautiful as this had a dump? "No problem," I forced myself to answer with a smile, standing up and repeating my new mantra in my head: _I'll get through this._

And then Zuko and I stood not two feet away from each other in the hallway.

I looked up at him, and he looked down at me. It was the most interesting eye contact I'd had with him since we'd met. Normally his eyes were angry, predatory, challenging, but now they held nothing but simple, subtle surprise. He blinked, and then remembrance dawned on his features.

And then the anger invaded, and everything went back to normal.

"Move," he barked, and pushed past me into the living room.

I sighed. "Sorry," I muttered halfheartedly, even though I knew I had nothing to apologize for. For some reason, I felt like I just didn't have the energy to stand against him. It seemed like no matter how hard I pushed, he pushed back even harder, and it was just an unending uphill struggle. If I wanted to get through smoothly, I couldn't deal with him anymore – it would just exhaust me.

He glanced behind himself at me, a small look of confusion on his face, but I brushed it off. As of now, I didn't care what he thought of me. He could go live his own princely life; I had work to do and garbage to throw out, and none of that involved him.

_xXxXxXxXxXx_

Azula and her friends went to the beach again, somewhat reluctantly followed by Zuko. I wondered how he felt surrounded by girls. I frowned, lifting a garbage bag from the trash can. He was probably eyeing them like he eyed me. I'm sure there wasn't any distinction. And besides, it didn't matter.

I wasn't totally sure where this dump was, but Azula had said it was at the back of the island. Back, as in relative to where we were? Well, might as well follow her not-very-specific directions. It's not like I could really got lost on this tiny island, anyway.

I passed houses, other condos like ours, and trekked up and down hills and along pathways of dirt and sand. I could see the beach in the distance, and could barely make out the form of Ty Lee walking on her hands, feet waving in the air. She had a horde of at least six guys ogling her, moving in a group like a silly cartoon.

Shaking my head, I moved on. Ty Lee seemed odd to me, but she was upbeat and pretty – I could see why they liked her.

Time passed, my feet ached, but finally I saw the dump. And yes, it was a dump in every sense of the word. It was a walled-off pile of garbage at the back of the island, where there was nothing but sand, sand, and more sand.

I held my breath as I approached, not because it smelled bad or anything – I didn't give myself a chance to smell the air – but because it appalled me that this beautiful, tranquil place would even have something as grotesque as this growing on it like a boil.

I tossed the bag into a chute on the side of the wall and hiked away as quickly as I could. I never wanted to lay eyes on that place again.

Staring at the ground, I made my way back to the house, and soon, out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone standing in my path. I looked up and saw, standing in nothing but red trunks with the Fire Nation insignia on the bottom of either leg, Kai.

I blinked, unsure of whether I really saw him there or not, and sure enough he didn't disappear. "Kai!" I said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled, his relaxed stance relaying the easy confidence that seemed to flow out of him. "Taking a vacation. What about you?"

I smiled, a small laugh escaping me. "Same," I replied, even though he obviously already knew.

He glanced around. "But what are you doing _here_?" he repeated back at me.

I made a face and started walking again. "It's a long story," I said. It really wasn't, but I didn't feel like explaining my passionate encounters with Zuko to a man I'd just met once, on quite possibly the most traumatic day of my life.

Kai crossed his arms over his chest and walked at my side. "Alright," he said. After walking together for a while, he spoke up again. "How are you liking the beach?"

"It's nice," I said. "I haven't gotten to see it much; I've been inside most of the time."

Kai scoffed, almost a laugh. "Haven't been to the beach? Well, I'll just have to take you," he said, sliding his arm across my shoulders.

I was getting used to the heated feeling that tingled my body whenever Zuko and I kissed. Now, I felt my skin heat up at Kai's touch, and stomach flipped when he pulled me close. I swallowed. I couldn't like Kai, could I? No, I didn't even _know_ him. But… maybe I _was_ attracted to him. _No_, I maintained, _it's too early to tell._

"So what have you been up to?" I asked, pushing aside my thoughts to make conversation.

Kai shrugged. "Nothing interesting. Mostly just running errands for the Fire Lord."

"Is that what you are? His errand boy?"

He laughed. "Technically no, but basically yeah. When I'm not off to war I'm running things around the Palace, checking in on the town; things like that. Not exactly the adventure of a lifetime," he added with a wry smile. "Speaking of adventures, how's yours coming along?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

He looked at me expectantly. "You know, your story? 'Make your own adventure?'"

The memory struck me like a splash of water in my eyes. "Oh, right! Well…" I thought for a moment. "I think I'm finally starting to write my own story."

"I'd love to read it sometime." His smile was really getting to me; my stomach was flip-flopping all over the place.

We'd reached the beach, finally, and I was semi-overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people. Gazing around, I caught sight of Azula and the others playing volleyball not too far off. Not wanting them to see me outside of the house, I said, "Let's go over here," and led Kai in the opposite direction, down the shore a ways until I couldn't see them anymore. I breathed a sigh of relief and picked my way through the obstacle course of umbrellas and towels down to the shoreline.

Kai stood next to me, looking out into the sea. "Nice view, huh?"

"Mm," I nodded. "I don't think I've ever seen the ocean look like this."

"What do you mean?"

I took a moment to form my thoughts into words. "Every time I looked into the ocean before, it was an obstacle, something I wanted to get away from, or wished wasn't even there. But now… it looks like a pathway. Like I could just walk on it into the sun…" I felt the sun-warmed water wash over my toes, and grinned. "If only that were possible, right?" I asked, tossing my eyes toward Kai, only to lose my smile as soon as it had come.

Kai was staring at me with a strange look in his eyes – soft, yet focused directly on me. When our eyes met, the corner of his mouth lifted just slightly. "There's a party happening tonight," he said, turning toward me fully. His hand brushed some hair away from my face. "Go with me."

His voice sent a chill down my spine, but the action of his hand gave me pause. It reminded me of when Zhao had done nearly the same thing. And the feeling – that turvy, warming feeling – that went through me reminded me of Zuko, of the times he'd made me feel that way.

_Stop thinking about Zuko_, I scolded myself. _He's not a part of your life anymore._

But I couldn't help but wonder what I would've said if Zuko had been the one asking me to a party.

_That doesn't matter._ Right. So I smiled, nodded, and said, "I'd love to."


End file.
